Posted in: Web Browsers

Chrome will protect you from dodgy file downloads

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Google, the internet’s good guy, wants to protect you against download links that lie. And they’re training Chrome to do this with the company’s new Safe Browsing initiative.

Google wants to safeguard Chrome users “against additional kinds of deceptive software.” What kind of deceptive software?

Well, we have all come across them: dirty links. No, not that kind of dirty (get your mind out of the gutter), but links the pose as one thing and end up being a spybot or other malware that’ll ultimately harm your computer once you download it. You’re looking to download a specific program, and shifty internet no-gooders change the name of their malware to resemble the popular download file you’re looking for. It’s a classic bait and switch that could put your computer, and your personal data, at risk.

What Google will start doing with Chrome is display a warning every time an untrusted 3rd party prompts you to download a piece of software. It won’t stop you completely, so you’ll have to decide whether or not to accept the download. It should help the less tech-savvy protect their hardware and personal data against malicious attacks, at the very least.

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