Google Chrome is one of best browsers available on the Internet right now, the reason is it equips the user with a plethora of features that are really needed while browsing the merciless web. One such feature is Enhanced Protection that protects the user from dangerous websites and downloads.
Now, while this feature is not enabled by default in the Chrome Browser, in this article, I’m going to teach you, how to enable the same feature. However, before that let me share some more information about this feature, for example, how it works.
Google Chrome Enhanced Protection Feature is based on Safe Browsing Blocklist API
As I said, the Enhanced Protection is a feature in Chrome but it is based on a security protocol called Safe Browsing Blocklist API (aka Google Safe Browsing). In a blog post, Google said, everyday Google Safe Browsing detects a thousand of unsafe websites over the web and then adds those websites in its Safe Browsing Blocklist API.
The limitation of Safe Browsing Blocklist API is, it updates the list of unsafe websites every 30 minutes and under these 30 minutes some sophisticated phishing sites switch their domain so quickly to escape from being added in the Google Safe Browsing Blocklist.
It doesn’t matter because Google Enhanced Protection nearly fills this limitation by sending sometimes a small sample of pages and suspicious download directly to the Google Web Protection team when a user visits a site or downloads something.
How does Google Chrome Enhanced Protection Feature works?
Below, I have explained how you can enable the enhanced protection in Google Chrome. Now, once you enable this feature then as soon as you visit a website in Google Chrome, it will be first checked with the list of websites added in the Safe Browsing Blocklist API. Also, if Google finds anything suspicious about the website then it first sends a small sample of pages from the same site to the Enhanced Protection team and then if everything goes fine then Google opens the website in front of the user. Otherwise will add the same site to its Safe Browsing Blocklist API.
Okay, now it’s time to tell you How to enable this feature both in your Chrome Browser for Desktop as well as in your phone.
How to enable Google Chrome Enhanced Protection Feature?
It doesn’t matter whether you are using Chrome for Desktop or Smartphone, you can find this feature on Settings > Privacy and Security > Security > Enhanced Protection.
Google Chrome Enhanced Protection Key Features
Below I have summarized the Key Features of Google Chrome Enhanced Protection.
- Faster, proactive protection against dangerous websites, downloads and extensions. Warns you about password breaches. Requires browsing data to be sent to Google.
- Predicts and warns you about dangerous events before they happen.
- Keeps you safe on Chrome and may be used to improve your security in other Google apps when you are signed in.
- Improves security for you and everyone on the web.
- Warns you if passwords are exposed in a data breach.
- Sends URLs to Safe Browsing to check them. Also sends a small sample of pages, downloads, extension activity and system information to help discover new threats. Temporarily links this data to your Google Account when you’re signed in, to protect you across Google apps.
In addition to enhanced protection features, Chrome has other protection features too but they have some limitations over the enhanced protection feature. Do note that Google Chrome has enabled the Standard Protection feature by default.
In addition to enhanced and standard protection features, There is also a no protection feature which is not recommended both by the chrome and me.
