Google Chrome for Windows updated with anti-virus features

Google Chrome is the most popular web browser across the globe. But with it comes the grave dangers of web loopholes, which brings harmful software to your devices. In the past few months, Google has been working on making Chrome a safer place to browse, and it has lately introduced three new changes.

To start with, Google has been monitoring extensions installed on the browser. Google has its own web store where you can add various extensions like AdBlock, Grammarly, Buffer, among others. While these extensions are pretty helpful, they do make the web browser heavy, and might also attract unwanted software. One such case occurred last week when a fake AdBlock Plus extension appeared on Chrome web store. It went unnoticed by Google leading to over 37,000 downloads by Chrome users.

Google has introduced three changes to Chrome for Windows to improve the browser's malware detection and removal capabilities.

The company is targeting malware and malicious extensions that modify search results to redirect users to unintended pages, inject ads, and lock users on ad-filled sites.

The new security features for Chrome on Windows are an addition to existing defenses, such as Safe Browsing warnings for pages known to deliver malware.

Google is now clamping down on Chrome extensions that change user settings, such as the default search engine. The browser will automatically detect when an unauthorized change is made and offers to restore the original settings.

It has also redesigned Chrome's Cleanup feature which offers a shortcut to restoring the browser's default settings after an infection. It shows an alert when the browser detects unwanted software and offers a way to remove it. Chrome users have previously been able to use the standalone Chrome Cleanup Tool to remove harmful software. Google says it redesigned the alerts to make it easier to see what software will be removed.

Chrome Cleanup has also gained a malware detection engine from antivirus firm ESET, which works in tandem with Chrome's sandbox technology.

This integration of the new "sandboxed engine" doesn't replace antivirus on Windows as it only targets and removes software that violates Google's unwanted software policy. However the policy covers a variety of bad behaviors, from deceptive installs to