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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2023-12-24 15:11:18.524
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Google Chrome adds background scans for compromised passwords. Google says the Chrome Safety Check feature will work in the background to check if passwords saved in the web browser have been compromised. Chrome will also alert desktop users if they're using extensions flagged as dangerous (taken down from the Chrome Web Store), the latest Chrome version, or if Safe Browsing is enabled to block websites on Google's list of potentially unsafe sites. "Safety Check for Chrome on desktop will now run automatically in the background," said Chrome Group Product Manager Sabine Borsay. "These alerts will appear in the three-dot menu in Chrome so you can take action." Additionally, Google will broaden Safety Check's functionality to automatically revoke permissions, such as access to the users' location or microphone, for websites that haven't been visited for a long time. Safety Check is also being upgraded to flag less-engaged sites showing excessive numbers of notifications and allow users to quickly disable them. Unveiled in December 2020, Safety Check compares login credentials against those exposed in data leaks. It also checks for weak and easy-to-guess passwords that expose users to brute-force attacks or password-cracking attempts. Over the coming weeks, Google will also introduce a new Chrome feature enabling desktop users to save tab groups and resume browsing on other desktop devices. Chrome performance controls like Memory Saver mode are also getting upgraded with more info on how they make the browser run smoother. "We recently added more details about your tabs' memory usage when you hover over them in Memory Saver mode, including the potential memory saved when they go inactive. And we've made it easier to specify sites that should always remain active," Borsay said. Google further enhanced Chrome users' internet security by automatically upgrading all insecure HTTP requests to HTTPS requests. A limited rollout of this feature began in July, but as of October 2023, it has now been rolled out to all users in the Stable channel. The company also announced in September that the Safe Browsing feature has enabled real-time phishing protection for all users using a locally stored list of URLs known to be malicious.
Daily Brief Summary
Google Chrome's Safety Check feature will now continuously run in the background, checking for compromised passwords.
The browser will alert users to harmful extensions, prompt updates to the latest Chrome version, and verify that Safe Browsing is active.
Automatic revocation of permissions for unused websites will be introduced to enhance user privacy.
Safety Check will begin to flag sites that bombard users with notifications and offer quick options to disable them.
Since its 2020 debut, Safety Check has been protecting users by comparing credentials against data from breaches and identifying weak passwords.
New functionality will enable desktop users to save tab groups and continue their sessions on other devices, improving multitasking and workflow continuity.
Chrome's performance is being optimized with detailed insights into memory usage, including a focus on tabs that can be rendered inactive to save resources.
Google continues securing web browsing by defaulting all HTTP requests to HTTPS and expanding real-time phishing protection with an updated list of malicious URLs.