Google Chrome update set to provide a major security boost

Unbreakable Lock
(Image credit: KAUST)

Google and cybersecurity firm ESET have confirmed that they will be continuing their partnership, providing enhanced security to users of Chrome for Windows. The two companies will continue to keep individuals safe online through Chrome Cleanup, a security tool that alerts users to potential threats.

Chrome Cleanup is part of Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature – a Google tool that notifies users when they are attempting to access potentially dangerous sites or download suspicious files. 

Safe Browsing also informs webmasters when their sites are compromised and helps them to diagnose and resolve issues. ESET’s security expertise promises to make Safe Browsing even safer.

Cleanup collaboration

ESET’s technology will be employed by Google to inform users of potentially harmful software attempting to access their devices through stealth. Chrome Cleanup can then be used to remove the unwanted software, with users receiving a notification once program removal has been completed.

Chrome Cleanup, powered by ESET, operates in the background so it never interferes with the user’s online activity. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, sometimes injecting malware by bundling it with legitimate software solutions, the addition of ESET’s technology should bolster online defenses.

The ongoing Chrome Cleanup partnership is not the only collaboration between Google and ESET currently in operation. The two firms also work closely to protect the Google Play Store, with ESET a partner in the App Defense Alliance. Similarly, the two companies collaborate on Google Cloud’s security analytics platform.

“We are proud to partner with Google in helping Chrome users enjoy safer technology,” Juraj Malcho, ESET’s Chief Technology Officer, commented. “The ongoing collaboration with Google and Chrome Cleanup demonstrates the importance that both companies place on keeping users safe and secure. With Chrome being the browser of choice for most Windows users, ESET’s technology and engineers are providing frontline protection.”

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Barclay Ballard

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services.  After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things.