Google can scan malicious files for Advanced Protection users now

Google’s Advanced Protection program is all about protecting users who have high visibility and sensitive information and are at risk of targeted online attacks. The company beefs up protection for those enrolled in this program with added security features in Chrome. And to this arsenal, Google has added a new feature.

Those enrolled in the Advanced Protection program will be able to send files that the program considers malicious to be scanned in full by Google’s Safe Browsing malware-detection technology.

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So far, the Advanced Protection feature could flag or block a download that it considered a problem. With the new feature, if there is a file the program finds suspicious, there will be an option to send it for an in-depth scan.

Chrome will need permission from the user to upload it and scan it in full by Safe Browsing which will perform a quick check using metadata, such as hashes of the file, to evaluate whether it appears suspicious or not. Post that, the file will be deleted from the servers, says Google.

Whether the file is safe or not, users can still download and open it if they want.

This new feature is an addition to the other safeguards Google has in place that protects the account for public features like politicians, journalists, activists etc.

Google’s Advanced Protection program requires two physical keys to be used where one of them is a backup. If anyone on the program loses access to their account, Google has additional steps in place to verify identity before they allow the user in.