Google Chrome gets more security, user-privacy controls

Google Chrome is one of the most popular internet browsers in the world. It offers several value-added features and plug-in options to improve the user experience. Now, the search engine giant announced to bring a refreshed interface, also improve security and user privacy.

Google will be incorporating Enhanced Safe Browsing (ESB) protection and Secure DNS into Chrome.

With ESB, Chrome gets more proactive and tailored protection from phishing, malware, and other web-based threats.

One the ESB is enabled, Chrome intuitively checks whether pages and downloads are dangerous by sending information about them to Google Safe Browsing.

"If you’re signed in to Chrome, then Chrome and other Google apps you use (Gmail, Drive, etc.) will further protect you based on a holistic view of threats you encounter on the web and attacks against your Google Account. Over the next year, we’ll be adding even more protections to this mode including tailored warnings for phishing sites and file downloads, and cross-product alerts," Google said.

On the other hand, Secure DNS is said to be designed to improve the security and privacy of the user while browsing the web.

When a user goes to a website, the browser first needs to determine which server is hosting it, using a step known as a 'DNS (Domain Name System) lookup'. Now, Chrome's Secure DNS feature uses DNS-over-HTTPS to encrypt this step, thereby helping prevent attackers from observing what sites the user visits or diverting them to phishing websites.

Google says, Chrome, with the new update, will automatically upgrade to the DNS-over-HTTPS if your current Internet service provider supports it. The user can also configure a different secure DNS provider in the Advanced security section, or disable the feature altogether.

Incognito mode on Chrome (Picture credit: Google)

There's more. Chrome's Incognito mode gets more secure. For long, Google has been saying that it never stores URLs nor do they keep cookies, as all data gets deleted once, the user comes out of the Incognito tab. But, it cannot stop third-party websites, the user visits, to access the cookies. This will change for good with the new Chrome update.

Chrome offers an option for users to block third-party apps, websites to access cookies(Picture credit: Google)

"We will start blocking third-party cookies by default within each Incognito session and include a prominent control on the New Tab Page. You can allow third-party cookies for specific sites by clicking the “eye” icon in the address bar. This feature will gradually roll out, starting on desktop operating systems and on Android," the company said.

New puzzle-symbol for plugins on Chrome browser (Picture Credit: Google)

Also, Google is improving the visual appeal of the interface by adding a puzzle-symbol on the tab for plug-ins and the user can tap on it and enable/disable any applications at a single source point.

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