Secure browsing option in Chrome has been updated for real-time website checks

For improved defence against fraudulent websites, Google has added real-time server-side checks to Chrome's Safe Browsing mode. It uses the optional Enhanced Protection Mode feature instead of locally saved lists. As per a Google official this update guarantees users' safety while using the internet. Users can now benefit from enhanced security against ever-evolving threats thanks to real-time upgrades.

Google's Safe Browsing feature is currently used on over five billion devices, evaluating more than 10 billion URLs as well as files daily.

The tech giant believes the new real-time checks will help block an additional 25% of phishing attempts.

Despite this upgrade, Google still recommends users opt for the Enhanced Protection mode, which uses Machine Learning (ML) to identify risky sites that haven't been identified as potentially malicious by Safe Browsing.

Google has emphasized that the new Safe Browsing feature does not compromise user privacy. The URLs of sites visited by users are not shared with the company.

Instead, a privacy server removes any identifiable user details before forwarding encrypted hash prefixes to the Safe Browsing server for checking against the list of unsafe sites.

This process involves hashing and encryption, ensuring that users' browsing activities remain private.

The upgraded Safe Browsing feature is now available on desktop and iOS versions of Chrome, with an Android version expected later this month.

In addition to this, Google has updated Chrome's Password Checkup feature on iOS.

Besides alerting users to compromised passwords, it will now alert them about weak and reused credentials, further enhancing online security.