Google targets online phishing by warning users about imposter websites

accusing it of promoting Google Shopping in organic search results while simultaneously demoting rival services.

First Microsoft, now Google, tech giants are getting out the big guns to deal with phonies on the Internet. While Microsoft’s partnership with NewsGuard was aimed at curbing the menace of Fake News, Google is developing a strategy to deal with impostor websites.

What is an Imposter Website? Imposter websites use tricks like adding symbols or extra words to a URL to get you to believe that the URL is legitimate.

To give you an example –

An imposter website might swap out a lowercase L with a 1 (one) to make the URL look legitimate. Another trick imposter websites use is spelling mistakes or lookalike URLs that deceive users. The latter of the two tricks possesses a real threat as it generally goes unnoticeable to the untrained eye.

Google is developing a new warning in the Chrome browser that alerts you when an imposter site tries to mimic a legitimate website. This warning system would take considerable pressure off you when and might just help you avoid enter scam sites as people pay so little attention to URL bars. The new warning system is still being tested by Google’s engineers and is likely to throw up red flags when entering a scam site without overselling the danger.

The new warning systems is a perfect method of putting an end to or at the very least tackling issues of phishing (Fraudulent attempt to obtain passwords, usernames, credit card details and other sensitive information by masquerading as a reliable entity in electronic communication). It could also keep users from downloading malicious software.

ALSO READ: Microsoft Edge browser extension NewsGuard helps tackle fake news menace

Chrome security experts commented about the growing security problems involving URLs and hinted to a solution that engineers were researching to improve safety in the way Chrome handles URLs. At the recent Enigma Conference, Google Chrome engineer said, "Website identity is so, so broken that all ideas should be on the table."