Highlights:
- Whentheservice will berolledouttoGmail users,theywillbeabletocheckiftheiremailaddressisvisibleonthedark
- TheDarkWebReportingservicewillbe available forGmailusersintheUSinthe upcomingweeks,andaccesswillbeextendedtoparticularinternationalmarkets
Google LLC is expanding its “dark web” reporting service to all Gmail users in the United States, along with other new online security features, as announced at its annual I/O conference in Mountain View, California.
First announced in March for Google One subscribers, the service identifies stolen information listed on hack sites and marketplaces on the Dark Web, shady parts of the web that can be accessed with special software. If matching data is found on the dark web, the service guides users on protecting that information.
If a user’s Social Security number was found on the dark web, the service offered to report the number as stolen to the government and take the necessary actions to protect the person’s credit. Also, instructions are provided to the user.
When the service rolls out with Gmail, users will be able to run a scan to see if their email address is visible on the dark web and receive guidance on actions such as removing the email address. It is advised to implement multi-factor authentication to protect accounts. The service also prompts Gmail users to check if their emails are related to data breaches that have landed on ransomware leak sites or other appalling sites on the dark web.
The Dark Web Reporting service will be available for Gmail users in the US in the upcoming weeks, and access will be extended to particular international markets.
Other security announcements at Google I/O include new Safe Browsing APIs. The company says the new API will improve Google’s ability to inspect and identify compromised websites, stop more attacks, and help Chrome and Android block an additional 25% of monthly phishing attacks.
Google also announced improvements to Google Drive’s spam protection with a new view that makes it easier to separate and review files. This includes determining which files may be spam to protect against potentially unwanted or unauthorized content.
Android users aren’t being neglected regarding security, as Google announced the Android 14 update to be more transparent about how apps use data. With this update, users will now be notified with a permission request when an app is sharing information with third parties for advertising purposes and will be given the option to approve or decline location sharing on a per-app basis.
