Google’s Advanced Protection Program “safeguards the personal Google Accounts of anyone at risk of targeted attacks – like journalists, activists, business leaders, and political campaign teams”.
Today, users enrolled in the program will receive additional safeguards for downloads made in Chrome. Either the website is blocked, or multiple warnings will be displayed when an attempt to download a risky file is made.
Google advises users to turn on sync in Chrome to activate the feature.
Starting today, Advanced Protection Program users who have turned on sync in Chrome will automatically start receiving stronger protections against risky downloads across the web, like files containing malware. Advanced Protection users already benefit from malware protections beyond Gmail’s standard, industry-leading safeguards. As a result, attackers are shifting their strategies to threaten Advanced Protection users outside of email with linked malware and “drive-by downloads” where users unknowingly download harmful software onto their devices.
The Advanced Protection Program provides Google’s strongest defence against phishing, by using a physical Security Key in addition to traditional 2-Step Verification. Just last week, Google announced the expansion of the Titan two-factor authorisation security keys to UK, France, Canada and Japan.
The company also introduced a beta program that allows G Suite -Google’s Cloud platform- as well as Cloud Identity admins to enrol high-profile members of organisations into the Advanced Protection Program.
If you are interested in enrolling in the Advanced Protection Program, learn more about it on this link.
Source: theverge