Chrome Settings For A More Secure Browsing Experience

Chrome is designed to be secure by default, safeguarding you from deceptive and dangerous sites that might steal your passwords or infect your device. Chrome pioneered essential browser security techniques such as sandboxing and site isolation. With advancements like predictive phishing protection, you can trust that we’re using cutting-edge technology to keep your data safe.

Staying Safe Online: Expert Tips from Chrome Security Engineers

To mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we consulted Chrome security engineers for their advice on staying safe online:

Keep Chrome Up to Date

Hundreds of security engineers at Google work tirelessly to protect Chrome from the latest threats, with updates released at least every two weeks. “We aim to minimize the time between discovering or reporting a security bug and releasing a fix,” says Amy Ressler, a security technical program manager. “Despite our speed, motivated adversaries look to exploit the ‘patch gap’ between our fix release and user updates.” Chrome checks for updates regularly, downloading and applying them when you close and reopen the browser. If you see a pending update in the upper right corner, click “Update” or simply close and reopen Chrome. Your tabs will remain intact, and the process only takes a few seconds.

Store Strong, Unique Passwords with Google Password Manager

Using a password manager helps you maintain strong, unique passwords for each site you log into. “If your password is compromised, a unique password for each site limits the damage,” says security software engineer Nwokedi Idika. Google Password Manager can suggest and save strong passwords like KZamPPzj43T9mQM, which Chrome will autofill next time you need it. Chrome should suggest a strong password when creating a new account, or you can right-click in the password field and click “Suggest Password.”

Don’t Ignore Chrome’s Download Warnings

Chrome and Safe Browsing work to warn you about dangerous downloads. When you see a download warning, we strongly advise against proceeding. Computers often get compromised by malware because warnings are misunderstood or ignored. “Some think Google disapproves of the download, but the file is actually malicious,” says software engineer Daniel Rubery. We continually refine our warnings, reducing low-risk alerts by over 90%. Trust that a download warning signifies real danger.

Browse the Web with Enhanced Security Protection

To enhance your security while browsing, enable Enhanced Safe Browsing protection in your Chrome settings. This significantly increases protection from dangerous websites and downloads by sharing real-time data with Safe Browsing. “Enhanced protection utilizes the latest threat intelligence to keep you safe,” recommends security software engineer Javier Castro. If signed in, Chrome and other Google apps will provide improved protection based on threats and attacks against your Google Account. Users of Enhanced Safe Browsing are phished 20-35% less often.

Protect Your Google Account with 2-Step Verification

Two-factor authentication adds an extra step to verify your identity when signing in, protecting against password-stealing scams. “Turning it on is simple, and you only need your phone the first time you sign in on each device,” says software engineer Diana Smetters. If an attacker gets your password, they’ll be blocked without your phone. Ensure you’re enrolled in 2-step verification if you sign into Chrome with a Google Account.

Take Action to Enhance Your Online Safety

Take a few minutes this month to update Chrome, start using Google Password Manager, enable Enhanced Safe Browsing, and enroll in 2-step verification. Finally, run Safety Check in Chrome settings to confirm your use of security features.