Google unveils new measures to keep your account protected

17 Oct 2017

Google account sign-in prompt on smartphone. Image:dennizn/Shutterstock

Google wants to make account-holders more aware of online security protections available to them.

There has never been more general awareness of the importance of personal security online as large data breaches continue to rattle the public consciousness.

To that end, Google has revamped two key features of its security protocol to give users peace of mind.

Google personalising security

Google has transformed its Security Checkup from the same static list for every user to a personalised guide to possible issues, tailored directly to your own Google account. When a user visits the checkup, they will see their security status automatically.

A green tick means your account is secure, while a red or yellow exclamation point shows there is at least one problem that needs to be sorted out.

New Google personal security feature

The new security features are personalised to each account. Image: Google

The list is also organised by the severity of threat levels, making it easier for the user to discern which problems need a swift solution.

Google said that Security Checkup will evolve along with the increase of new threats. In a world where cybercrime is on the rise, this should provide some reassurance to Google account-holders.

Protection against phishing scams

The second development shows how Google’s Safe Browsing technology has improved to the point that the company can now predict the risks of phishing sites in real time.

Historically, Safe Browsing had always scanned the internet for these malicious sites, but even the fastest of scanners couldn’t warn users quickly enough.

The predictive phishing protection will make a pre-emptive strike against a suspected phishing scam, so, when you type your password into a dodgy site, additional protections will be added to ensure your account isn’t compromised.

Eventually, Google hopes to expand the predictive phishing protections to all other passwords saved in Chrome’s password manager as well as other browsers that make use of Safe Browsing, such as Safari, Firefox and Snapchat.

Although many of us would like to think we wouldn’t fall for a phishing scam, they are becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect, so these new measures from Google are sure to go a long way to protect account-holders while they browse.

Google account sign-in prompt on smartphone. Image: dennizn/Shutterstock

Ellen Tannam was a journalist with Silicon Republic, covering all manner of business and tech subjects

editorial@siliconrepublic.com