Google ups efforts to protect users against unwanted software

  • 24 February 2015
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Posted on 24 February 2015. Google is looking to minimize its users' exposure to potentially unwanted software, and to that end they have announced a few changes.

For one, Chrome users will now see the following hard-to-miss alert when they attempt to visit a website that's geared towards delivering adware, "helpful" toolbars, and other unwanted software to users:

http://www.net-security.org/images/articles/googwarn-24022015.jpg 
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This is huge!  Now if we could get them to start blocking iYogi ads 🙂
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Our own @ wrote up a nice blog on this one:
http://www.webroot.com/blog/2015/02/24/google-taking-steps-eliminate-deceptive-download-ads/
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By Ian Paul

Google's security tool throws up a big, red warning when you're about to visit scheming sites to foil unwanted downloads from the Web.

 
Google is adding a new warning to Chrome in its continuing efforts to protect users from harmful actors on the Web. The new red flag for Google's browser warns you when you're about to visit a site that encourages users to download harmful and unwanted software.
Chrome isn't the only site sending out warnings. Other browsers, such as Firefox, also warn about potentially harmful sites.
Google's definition of unwanted programs isn't just about malware, but also tricky programs that try to sneak onto your system. The search giant defines unwanted software as anything with dishonest behavior, such as piggybacking on the installation of another program, apps that are difficult to remove, and software that fails to live up to its advertised functionality. Even software that changes your homepage -- a not uncommon occurrence -- can qualify as unwanted software from Google's point of view.
 
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