Google: We will offer you better protection against malware in Chrome, but only if you connect.

After extending the Gmail Advanced Protection Program for high-risk users of G Suite last week, Google now brings some anti-malware features of the program to Chrome.

Although Gmail's advanced protection program requires users to use a hardware security key like Google's Titan, additional malware protection for Chrome will require them to sign in to Google's browser account system called Sync.

Last year, the company angered some Chrome users with an unannounced feature that automatically linked users to Chrome's account system if they were already connected to a Google service such as Gmail.

When you're signed in to Google Chrome, the web browsing history is sent to Google's servers, allowing it to sync web history, passwords, and settings across multiple devices. Enabling synchronization also automatically connects users to all the Google services they visit, including YouTube and Search.

The new advanced protection offering seems to offer users the choice to negotiate some privacy for added security.

Once logged in, Google states that "Google Chrome will automatically benefit from enhanced protection against risky downloads on the Web, such as files containing malicious programs."

The company claims that, thanks to advanced protection offering higher protection to Gmail users, "hackers are modifying their strategies to threaten Advanced Protection users outside of email with related malware and point-in-time downloads, where users unknowingly download harmful software on their devices. "

Chrome already has many built-in anti-malware features, such as Safe Browsing, an ESET-based malware-cleaning feature, and added new safeguards to block file downloads from sandboxed iframes , thus removing a key technique of automatic installation. malware on computers from the web.

But Google says that "Advanced Protection users will benefit from an even higher level of protection" in Chrome.

The next time Chrome with Sync Enabled runs on a potentially dangerous executable, users will see a message in the bottom corner of the browser stating that a file has been "blocked by advanced protection".

The advanced protection program for G Suite announced last week's address to G Suite administrators who previously had no control over the people enrolled in the program.

Administrators can now name specific groups of high-risk users and ask them to use a security key and whitelist applications that can access their users' Gmail data.

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