Did you know that a staggering 60% of phishing websites are only online for a fleeting 10 minutes?

Yes, you read that right. Just ten minutes.

This shocking revelation emphasises how quickly cyber dangers evolve and how critical it is for us to stay ahead of the game.

Phishing sites are fraudulent websites that attempt to fool you into entering your login information. Or to trick you into downloading malware.

The idea is that cyber thieves will send massive volumes of traffic to them, defraud victims, and then shut down the site before it is discovered.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could detect these hazards before they vanish into thin air and reappear somewhere else? Google Chrome has a trick up its sleeve to assist us in doing just that.

Imagine this: You’re running your business, constantly on the move, making split-second decisions. You absent-mindedly visit a website which looks a little… odd. But you don’t panic. You’re using Google Chrome and it scans websites you visit against its list of malicious URLs.

But uh oh. Google’s list of bad websites is only updated every 30 to 60 minutes. That 60% of phishing domains that are active for just 10 minutes may slip through the net.

Enter Google Chrome’s new security tool, Enhanced Safe Browsing.

As part of a recent update, Chrome has switched it on for everyone. It will now check URLs against a list of domains in real time. Think of it as a cyber bodyguard who can spot and neutralize threats at lightning speed.

Google has stated that Enhanced Safe Browsing will continue to provide capabilities such as deep file inspections and protection against harmful extensions.

So, does this imply that Google will remember every URL you visit?

Yes, indeed. However, while this new function does share all visited URLs with Google, the data will not be utilized to fuel other features, such as advertising. It’s a compromise between security and privacy. Isn’t it worth having an extra layer of security, given the increasing sophistication of cyber threats?

We recommend that you use these new technologies to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. After all, the safety of all our enterprises is at stake.

If you need additional support protecting your business from phishing scams – or anything else – get in touch.