Did you know that most phishing websites are only online for a fleeting 10 minutes?!

 

This surprising fact underlines just how rapidly cyber threats are evolving and how vital it is for us to stay ahead of the game.

So what is a phishing site?  Phishing sites are fake sites that try to trick you into entering your login details, or to get you to download malware. The idea is that cyber criminals drive huge amounts of traffic to them, scam people and then take down the site before it can be detected.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could spot these threats before they vanish into thin air and pop-up elsewhere? Google Chrome has a trick up its sleeve to do just that!

Running a business is a busy job, you are constantly on the move, making split second decisions. Imagine you absent-mindedly visit a website that looks a little odd, you don’t panic because you know that Google Chrome scans websites you visit against its list of malicious URLS. However, Googles list updates every 30-60 minutes. Therefore, that 60% of phishing domains that are active for just 10 minutes could slip through!

Don’t panic though, this is where Chromes new security tool comes in. Enhanced Safe Browsing. As part of a recent update Chrome has switched it on for everyone. It will now check URLs against a list of domains in real time. A cyber bodyguard if you will, who can spot and neutralise threats at lightening speed.

Google has confirmed that Enhanced Safe Browsing will continue to offer features like deep scans for files and protection from malicious extensions.

So, does this mean Google will know every URL you visit? Yes, but whilst this new feature does share all visited URLs with Google, the information won’t be used to power other features, including advertising. It is a trade-off between security and privacy. Given the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, isn’t it worth having an extra layer of protection?

 

We would recommend embracing these new tools to stay one step ahead of the cyber criminals.

 

If you would like any help or advice on this, then let us know!