Microsoft Releases Security Extension for Google Chrome

Microsoft Releases Security Extension for Google Chrome

There’s no official announcement that I can find, but Microsoft has released a Windows Defender Browser Protection extension for Google Chrome. It appears to look and work much like the anti-malware and anti-phishing technology that is built into Microsoft’s own web browsers.

You can find out a bit about the extension from its listing on the Chrome Web Store. But I did find a Microsoft website that describes it in more detail as well.

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“The Windows Defender Browser Protection extension for Google Chrome allows you to add an additional layer of protection when browsing online, powered by the same trusted intelligence found in Microsoft Edge,” the site notes. “The extension alerts you about known malicious links, and gives you a clear path back to safety.”

I’m installing the extension now and will see how well it works. But based on my experiences with this technology in IE and Edge, it should work pretty well.

You can Windows Defender Browser Protection for Google Chrome from the Chrome Web Store. It’s free.

Thanks to WalkingCat for discovering this.

 

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Conversation 26 comments

  • Martin Pelletier

    Premium Member
    18 April, 2018 - 10:24 am

    <p>Doesn't Chrome has an anti-phishing feature already built-in?</p>

    • rmlounsbury

      Premium Member
      18 April, 2018 - 5:50 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#263828"><em>In reply to MartinusV2:</em></a></blockquote><p>It does and according to Peter Bright's article over at Ars Technica that feature isn't disable by this extension which is good. Microsoft is effectively allowing you to plugin the piece from Edge that gets you to "99% protection" against phishing attacks. </p><p><br></p><p>Probably the most important take away is that it doesn't appear to disable the built in protections on Chrome but just adds additional security measures on top of it which isn't terrible. </p><p><br></p><p>Begs the question as to why you would bother with Edge if you can get the same level of protection via Chrome and this extension. Curious how Microsoft is pushing Edge hard but also doing things that obviates the need for Edge. </p>

      • anchovylover

        18 April, 2018 - 8:44 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#264015"><em>In reply to rmlounsbury:</em></a></blockquote><p>I can't imagine that many users of Edge are using it because of the perceived security advantages. This is a data gathering project for MS and nothing else.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • Daekar

    18 April, 2018 - 10:31 am

    <p>Just installed it in Chrome on my work PC, thanks for the tip. </p><p><br></p><p>By what standard are you evaluating the efficacy of this extension? I mean, do you have a bunch of malware links that you can click to see if they work or… something?</p>

  • pauldain

    Premium Member
    18 April, 2018 - 11:20 am

    <p>Seems to work on macOS. Taking it for a spin.</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    18 April, 2018 - 11:50 am

    <p>Graphs like that are utterly pointless – like they've been created by kids. Any company can basically make it look like anything they want. I give it to MS though, they're certainly slipping their 'services' in by every backdoor possible, on Android especially where there's more freedom and flexibility. Apple lock out pretty much all 3rd parties from changing anything and everything so the keep total control.</p>

    • PeteB

      18 April, 2018 - 1:41 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#263861"><em>In reply to ghostrider:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yeah "99%" is laughably fictitious. The fratboy marketing majors that sat around at MS spitballing it probably wanted to make it 100%, but they settled on 99% because it's slightly less absurd.</p><p><br></p><p>I cannot forget the time windows defender actually helped propagate a malware because of a security weaknesses. That was the day I removed it completely and never looked back.</p>

  • atulmarathe

    18 April, 2018 - 3:16 pm

    <p>What do they gain by making a competing browser safer for users? S<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">hould we consider this as Microsoft giving up on Edge? </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Or will they start showing ads in Chrome that how the user would get a better experience in Edge? </span></p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      18 April, 2018 - 4:16 pm

      <p><a href="#263967"><em>In reply to atulmarathe:</em></a></p><p>What does MSFT get? How about going forward browsing history from some % of Chrome users.</p>

      • atulmarathe

        18 April, 2018 - 7:53 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#263989"><em>In reply to hrlngrv:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>So they get the browsing history and what? As far as I know, MS isn't into targeted ad business. Are you saying they'll use this to improve the defender database?</p><p><br></p>

    • Peter Hultqvist

      18 April, 2018 - 10:50 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#263967"><em>In reply to atulmarathe:</em></a></blockquote><p>They get reputation about caring about people, even if you don't use their browser. They get brand recognition.</p><p>It makes chrome/Google look bad if you need an extension from Microsoft to make it safe.</p><p>In the end one may ask why use chrome with this plugin when i can get it built in using edge.</p>

  • JerryH

    Premium Member
    18 April, 2018 - 3:42 pm

    <p>Countdown started until Google removes the extension for violating some made up rule…</p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    18 April, 2018 - 4:14 pm

    <p>Love the lying with numbers bar chart at the top which chops off the bottom 50% or so of the vertical in order to make Firefox's 70% appear to be about 2/5 of Edge's 99%.</p>

    • Sprtfan

      18 April, 2018 - 5:00 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#263988"><em>In reply to hrlngrv:</em></a></blockquote><p>The 70%, 87%, and 99% are very big and easy to see. Its not like you had to line up the bar graph with numbers on the side in small print with it being cut off at 50%. As lying with numbers go, this seems to me more honest and straight forward than the majority of the graphics I typically see. </p>

    • Sprtfan

      18 April, 2018 - 5:02 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#263988"><em>In reply to hrlngrv:</em></a></blockquote><p>I should add that the numbers and how they came up with them could be complete BS, but I have no problem with how they are being displayed. </p>

  • dontbe evil

    19 April, 2018 - 6:48 am

    <p>so it blocks chrome for security? :)</p>

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