Google optimize Chrome Safe Browsing for speed and efficiency

Google Chrome yesterday announced several updates to its Safe Browsing feature, aiming to balance online security with faster browsing experiences. These changes, implemented gradually from Chrome 122 onwards, focus on improving performance and resource usage without compromising user protection.

Updates in Google Chrome:

• Asynchronous Checks: Previously, Safe Browsing checks blocked page loading until complete. Now, pages will begin rendering while server-side checks occur in the background, minimizing delays. This allows Google to leverage AI and machine learning for more advanced threat detection while maintaining user experience.
• Reduced Sub-resource Checks: While valuable in the past, checking individual sub-resources (images, scripts) for threats has become less crucial due to declining malicious use and improved detection methods. Chrome will now primarily focus on top-level URLs, reducing network traffic and simplifying Safe Browsing logic for improved reliability and accuracy.
• Minimal PDF Download Checks: According to Google, PDF exploitation has shown a significant decline thanks to security enhancements in viewers like Chrome's sandboxed PDF reader. Therefore, Chrome will significantly reduce the frequency of Safe Browsing checks for PDF downloads, saving resources and speeding up download processes.

These updates are expected to provide users with a faster and more streamlined browsing experience while maintaining robust security against online threats.