Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox are all mainstream browsers that work extra hard to keep you safe in cyberspace. Each company has taken a different approach, but users are more protected than ever before.

Nothing is foolproof though. What happens when badware gets through those defences and takes over your browser making your leisurely stroll through cyberspace painfully slow or dangerous by stealing your passwords?

In the latest version of Chrome for Windows, Google adds more tools to the arsenal. 

Hijacked settings 

Recently we have seen a surge in companies selling reputable browser extensions to other companies and these new owners leveraging the installed base to do bad things like stealthily changing your browser settings.

Chrome now looks out for this type of attack and offers to restore your settings. 

Chrome cleanup

Many companies bundle crapware in their product installers as a source of additional revenue. In some cases, the user may not even be aware that the crapware was installed. 

Chrome cleanup looks for this type of attack and offers to clean up Chrome (thus returning Chrome to a known good state). 

Google redesigned Chrome cleanup to be more powerful and more straightforward to use.

Rolling out now

The new version will slowly roll out to users over the next few days and you will benefit from these improvements automagically. 

Google blog post