Google's Chrome will automatically block malware

November 01, 2013

A developer version of Google’s Chrome browser will automatically flag and block malware that the user’s anti-malware system wouldn’t otherwise detect, Google said. The “Canary” version of Chrome, designed for early testing by developers and others, will show a small warning note in the area of the screen reserved for downloads, notifying the user that it had prevented malware from being downloaded, Google said in a blog post. The new technology is in addition to Google’s existing “Safe Browsing” capability, which blocks up to 10,000 new websites per day, based on a reputation score that Google develops and assigns. The downloads Google will block with the new technology aren’t flagged by an antivirus program as “traditional” malware, and people may not even know they’re there, representatives said. They may change browser settings or install ads, hijacking the browser for its own purposes. The new Chrome anti-malware message. Malware is constantly evolving and improving, as are the anti-malware systems deployed by browsers and dedicated software. As such, it’s difficult to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date perspective on which solution protects you best. In May, NSS Labs ran a test comparing the effectiveness of the five leading browsers against a pool of 754 pieces of real-world malware. But that test, while indicative of the relative strength of each browser, is already out of date: NSS tested Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 10, for example, instead of the latest IE11 installed in Windows 8.1. And NSS also tested Chrome 25/26, while Chrome is now up to version 30. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2059579/googles-chrome-will-automatically-block-malware.html#tk.rss_all