Google making it easier to find safe Extensions and difficult to download risky files on Chrome – Times of India

Internet search giant Google has announced that it is adding new ways to make Chrome safer for its users. With the rollout of Chrome 91 version, the web browser will offer new features to help Enhanced Safe Browsing users better choose their extensions along with offering additional protections against downloading malicious files on the web.
Safer Chrome extensions
Back in 2020, Google had rolled out Enhanced Safe Browsing security feature, the purpose of which was to proactively check whether pages and downloads are dangerous.
Now, as part of this feature, Google will offer additional protection when users install a new extension from the Chrome Web Store. Google says that if users try to install an extension that is not part of the list of extensions trusted by Enhanced Safe Browsing, it will inform them via a dialog box.
In order for any extension to fall under the list of extensions trusted by Enhanced Safe Browsing, developers will be required to follow the Chrome Web Store Developer Program Policies and for new developers, it is likely to take at least a few months.
Improved download protection
Another security enhancement coming to Google Chrome is in regards to the downloadable files as Google says that it will now offer “even better protection against risky files.”
Chrome already performs a first level check when users try to download a file with Google Safe Browsing using metadata about the downloaded file. This includes the gist of the contents and the source of the file, to determine whether it’s potentially suspicious.
Moving forward, for any downloads that Safe Browsing deems risky, but not clearly unsafe, Enhanced Safe Browsing users will be presented with a warning and the ability to send the file to be scanned for a more in depth analysis.
In case users choose to send the file, Chrome will upload it to Google Safe Browsing, which will scan it using its static and dynamic analysis classifiers in real time.
If in case Safe Browsing determines the file is unsafe, Chrome will display a warning. That said, the browser will still give an option to bypass the warning and open the file without scanning.