Regardless of which browser you prefer to use, we all rely on them to help keep us safe on the web. This week, Google is enhancing the security of its mobile Chrome browser with a particular focus on password security.
The latest version of Chrome (Chrome 86) on Android and iOS will check if any of the passwords you've asked Chrome to remember is on a list of compromised credentials. AbdelKarim Mardini, Senior Product Manager, Chrome explains in a Google Security blog post, "To check whether you have any compromised passwords, Chrome sends a copy of your usernames and passwords to Google using a special form of encryption. This lets Google check them against lists of credentials known to be compromised, but Google cannot derive your username or password from this encrypted copy."
If any compromised passwords are detected, Chrome will tell you and take users directly to the change password form for the relevant password. It means you can very quickly solve the problem without the hassle of navigating to the form manually and spending time finding the right password to replace.
Chrome already protects against dangerous sites using Safe Browsing, which updates a list of websites carrying malware or phishing campaigns every 30 minutes on your device. However, Enhanced Safe Browsing is now being offered to mobile Chrome users, allowing for real-time checks to occur. Google says turning this enhanced security measure on increases protection by 20-25 percent.
Back in July, Chrome on Android got touch-to-fill passwords and a biometric security check for completing a card transaction. iOS is now getting a similar feature, allowing users to use Face ID, Touch ID, or a phone passcode for autofilling passwords.
Finally, the handling of "mixed content" is being enhanced. Mixed content is when a page secured with HTTPS includes some content that is not secure. Chrome already either blocks or secures such content, but Chrome 86 is adding new warning messages for desktop and Android users, as well as blocking or warning against non-secure downloads from secure pages.