Google Expands Safe Browsing To Block Unwanted Downloads 106
An anonymous reader writes "Google today announced it is expanding its Safe Browsing service to protect users against malware that makes unexpected changes to your computer. Google says it will show a warning in Chrome whenever an attempt is made to trick you into downloading and installing such software. In the case of malware, PUA stands for Potentially Unwanted Application, which is also sometimes called Potentially Unwanted Program or PUP. In short, the broad terms encompass any downloads that the user does not want, typically because they display popups, show ads, install toolbars in the default browser, change the homepage or the search engine, run several processes in the background that slow down the PC, and so on."
Re:Will Google have the balls to block Oracle? (Score:3, Insightful)
The important question is whether they'll have the balls to block Google Toolbar.
Block all file downloaders (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm looking at you, CNET... you used to be cool.
Pretty much any site requiring a "file downloader" is simply evil and should be expunged by or at least blacklisted by browsers. That would help fight 80% of the delivery of malware that I've seen infecting friend's and family's computers.
Re:You just can't make this stuff up (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, as any successful malware author knows, you must pull up the ladder behind you once you're on board.
Re:Good idea. (Score:5, Insightful)
The real test is if they block stuff that installs Google Toolbar. If they don't then this is all just bullshit.
Re:That would include Java then... (Score:2, Insightful)