Google Chat now warns you about suspicious links

Not sure if that chat message is legit or not? Google has your back. Google Chat will start showing a warning banner under messages that might contain phishing links or malware downloads, according to a blog post by Google.

Phishing scams can lock you out of your device or result in identity theft. Malware attacks, which include ransomware attacks, are becoming more frequent, more successful, and more expensive.

Google wrote that the warning banners “help protect users against malicious actors, keeping data safe.”

The banner appears at the bottom of the message in red and says “This invite is suspicious.” You can block whoever sent you the message, or you can accept the message.

This feature is available to people with personal and business Google accounts, and Google said the feature is activated by default. These warning banners will be shown on the mobile and web versions of Google Chat in the coming days.

Google Drive and Gmail already show similar warning banners for suspicious activity.

Cybersecurity experts have said that the influx of people working from home presents more targets to malicious online actors. At home, you might have less access to software that scans files and warns you ahead of time. Google Chat’s warning banners could help stop you from falling victim to one of these attacks.

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