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How To Increase Your Google Chrome Security

By Paul Liu
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014

Google Chrome is a cross platform browser that enjoys immense popularity among internet users. The browser is available for all the major desktop and mobile platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS and Android) and according to recent estimates; it commands 43% of browser market share. The browser includes several innovative security and privacy features which make it the top choice for security conscious web users. If you are interested in how your can increase your Google Chrome security, this article will reveal several tips on how you can browse securely with the Chrome browser.

1) Incognito Mode

The incognito mode of browsing available within Google Chrome makes it possible to browse the web without leaving any footprints behind. As you might be aware, browsers usually keep a track of your browsing history and download the pages in the browser cache for future use. However, when you enable the incognito mode, Chrome doesn’t keep a record of the sites that you visit or the files that you download. In addition, all the cookies created during the incognito mode of browsing are automatically deleted as soon as you close the browser window. To open a new incognito window, click on Chrome menu and then click on “New incognito window” (or press Control+Shift+N keys at the same time).

If you want search engines and content providers to stop tracking your online activities then you can also enable the “Do Not Track” feature. This option is available within the privacy section of Chrome settings window but it is up to the content providers to honor this request.

The incognito mode and “Do Not Track” option cannot protect your online activities from surveillance and monitoring. If you need to browse the web anonymously, you must subscribe to an advanced privacy solution like Virtual Private Network. There are many reliable VPN providers such as VyprVPN, HideMyAss, IPVanish, ExpressVPN and SwitchVPN available that allow you browse anonymously and shield your online activities from ISPs, governments and organizations.

2) Malware and Phishing Protection

Google Chrome includes a built-in malware and protection feature that displays a warning message whenever you try to visit a webpage that has been identified as a security threat. The browser can even correct spellings for popular sites so that you do not land on a phishing website just by typing the URL incorrectly. To enable this feature, open the Chrome settings window, scroll to the Privacy section and then click on the checkboxes next to “Enable phishing and malware protection” and “Use a web service to help resolve spelling errors”.

3) Encrypt Synced Data

Google Chrome makes it easy to sync your saved data and settings across multiple devices (where Chrome is installed). However, this could also lead to security breaches since Google also syncs stored passwords. To secure your synced data, you can choose to encrypt all synced data with a password that is different from your Google account password. These options are available under Advanced sync settings window and allow you fine-tune what kind of data you want to sync and whether or not you wish to use an extra layer of security for the synced data.

4) Third Party Plugins

The beauty of Google Chrome is that it allows you to customize your browser as per your needs through third party plugins. However, the plugins could also pose a security threat so you should only use those plugins that have been created by renowned companies (or developers) and have received good feedback. In addition, you should also update the browser and plugins from time to time so that you do not become a victim of the latest security threats.