Google Chrome update makes it even better at spotting phishing scams

Google Chrome
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Spotting and killing security threats on Google Chrome is set to get a lot easier thanks to its latest update.

The web browser has revealed faster and more efficient phishing detection is coming to Chrome 92 as it looks to help keep users safe online.

Google says version 92 of Chrome, which is available for users to download now, will now boast 50 times faster phishing detection.

Phishing detection

"Every time you navigate to a new page, Chrome evaluates a collection of signals about the page to see if it matches those of phishing sites," Chrome developer Olivier Li Shing Tat-Dupuis detailed in a blog post.

These include a range of color profiles of the sites being visited, which Chrome analyses with detailed image processing tools.

If the page you're trying to access matches a known phishing site, Chrome will display a warning to protect your personal information and prevent you from exposing your credentials.

But with the new update, Chrome will now execute this image-based phishing classification, "up to 50 times faster at the 50th percentile and 2.5 times faster at the 99th percentile", Tat-Dupuis added.

"On average, users will get their phishing classification results after 100 milliseconds, instead of 1.8 seconds," he said. "This speed improvement makes a real difference in security - especially when it comes to stopping you from entering your password in a malicious site!"

The speed improvements also means Chrome will be less demanding on your device's CPU, boosting general performance and draining less life from your battery.

The news is the latest in a series of upgrades to Google Chrome that hope to make the browser more secure for users everywhere. 

Recently, the company announced it was also working on a new feature that will automatically direct Chrome users away from insecure sites still using HTTP in favor of sites that utilize HTTPS instead.

Via BleepingComputer

Mike Moore
Deputy Editor, TechRadar Pro

Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.