What you need to know
- Google is back with new tools for Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
- As part of the announcement, the search giant brings handy privacy tools to its products.
- Dark Web report from Gmail lands on the Google app.
- Google Password Manager can now be the default autofill provider on iOS devices.
Google has announced that it is bringing new tools for its products to keep its users safe and secure by default, which translates to automatically detecting and preventing online threats.
Today's new tools that want to let users be in control include easier access to "Clear Browsing Data '' on Chrome for Android devices. Users will be able to spot the "Clear Browsing Data'' section right under the history section when they open the three-dot menu on Chrome. Users get a new 15-minute option when it comes to duration, which was previously starting from one hour.
Google introduced a dark web report for Gmail early this year to allow users to check whether their email addresses are exposed on the dark web. As part of today's announcement, the latest security option now lands on the Google app. The Dark Web report can be found on the Google app account menu on Android, and Google says it will soon be venturing into iOS as well.
Speaking of, iOS users can use Google Password Manager as the default autofill provider on their iPhones and likely iPads to help quickly save, create, and keep them secure. Currently, third-party apps are allowed to be autofill providers on iOS other than the default password manager that Apple provides. It is good to have the convenience of having the same password manager across platforms to have more streamlined access to the passwords.
The new tools are seemingly an extension of what Google already provides on its products. The company has introduced Passkeys for personal accounts, allowing people to be passwordless by default. According to Google, the Passkeys is a more straightforward and secure way to sign into online sites; the search giant has recently started showing prompts to create and use Passkeys when users sign into their personal accounts.
As for the Pixel phones, the latest Pixel 8 series is claimed to be more resilient to cyber-attacks — thanks to the Tensor G3 accompanied by Titan M2 security chip. With machine learning advancements paired with Face unlock and biometrics, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are assured to be more private and secure, particularly for banking apps and Google Wallet.
The search giant is also partnering with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) to help people with cybersecurity issues.
In a shared press release, Google stated that it is in partnership with CISA and provides videos that educate people to be safe online. It includes practices such as enabling multi-factor authentication, using strong passwords via a password manager, keeping their devices up to date in terms of software, and teaching people how to spot scams.
