Google Chrome has become one of the best and most popular web browsers in the world. One of the reasons why the increase of usage of the web browser has risen is due to its security features.
Protecting Chrome users from malware remains a top priority today. What you may not have realized is that Chrome’s ability to protect you from ransomware, hijackers and other nastiness extends beyond the browser itself.
Chrome’s malware scan can stand alone just like an antivirus program does. It can actually scan your entire computer for malware.
Open Chrome (or open a new tab if Chrome is already running) and type the following in to the address bar at the top: chrome://settings/cleanup.
You can also click that link if you’re a Chrome user — it treats the special chrome:// address like any you’d normally type in, like http://www.fthghana.com.
Here’s what you should see when you do that:
Click the bottom button and Chrome will start scanning your computer. The behind-the-scenes malware detection is actually handled by ESET, a highly-regarded IT security company based in Slovakia.
It’s worth knowing that the scanner doesn’t just look for things like malware and other Trojans or viruses. Google’s policy is to look for all kinds of “unwanted software,” which can include apps that you might not realize you installed, apps that upload your data to remote servers without your knowledge or even apps that aren’t honest about what they’re doing.
Google lists its criteria on this web page if you’d like more information.
Chrome Cleanup is a handy additional layer of defense against malware. If you use Chrome to browse the web, it’s worth running a scan every now and then just to get a second opinion about the state of your computer’s security.
Just remember that Chrome Cleanup is an on-demand only scanner. It does not offer real-time protection like a traditional anti-malware app does.