Google has fittingly chosen October to make several security-related announcements. Dubbed as the Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the search giant announced that it will introduce a host of security enhancements to Chrome and Gmail for a more secure online browsing.

For instance, Google has improved Chrome’s Safe Browsing Technology to prevent unsuspecting users from unwittingly giving away their personal credentials also known as phishing. Chrome browsers will now enjoy an added layer of protection as Google deployed what it calls “predictive phishing protection.”

With predictive phishing protection in place, users will be warned that the website they are trying to access could be problematic. According to Google, the technology could detect that a site is used for phishing even if it has only been recently opened and has not yet existed long enough to be tagged as a phishing site as an analysis of potential risks will be done in real time.

Google personalizes Security Checkup, adds predictive phishing protection to Chrome https://t.co/aKk1TtdcQC pic.twitter.com/6M1uayDnM9

— 9to5Google (@9to5Google) October 16, 2017

At the moment though, the predictive phishing protection only covers Google account passwords. However, it is possible that its reach may expand in the future to include all passwords and login credentials saved in Chrome’s password manager.

In addition, Google has recently added some antivirus functions to Chrome for Windows, according to The Verge. The browser has a new option to detect possible tampering to its settings caused by rogue extensions. The browser’s built-in cleanup tool has also been improved to allows users to remove harmful software at the press of a button. While the cleanup tool is now touted to be more powerful thanks to Google’s partnership with IT security company ESET, the search giant warns that the revamped tool should not be considered a total replacement for regular antivirus software since it only guards against violations to Google’s Unwanted Software Policy.

Meanwhile, Gmail users who suspect they may be targeted online may now opt to use the recently rolled out Advance Protection Program. Basically, Gmail accounts enrolled on it will have another layer authentication protocol to prove to the system that anyone trying to access the mails is the legitimate owner. This is achieved with the use of a USB Secure Key for PC access while authenticating email access on mobile devices is done via a Bluetooth Security Key, which can be bought for $20.

[Featured Image via Google]