An open internet is always a good thing because it offers unprecedented access to knowledge while pushing development to the next level. Access to different types of entertainment and information has become faster and easier. As long as there is a stable internet connection, connection to knowledge, services and entertainment is just a click away.
However, access to the internet also comes with challenges especially on security concerns over the years. Vulnerabilities abound as individuals unfamiliar with different types of online attacks can be duped into revealing their financial information. It’s even possible that an attack can happen without any interaction at all - an attacker can use the target’s IP address to monitor their activities and steal personal and financial information.
Solutions could come in many forms - antivirus software, VPNs and similar tools are now available far and wide. These protections are commendable however, the fact that every online user still has to think of these vulnerabilities and address them should be concerning to online companies. Without a secure internet by default, everyone is a sitting duck for online attacks.
Private Network Access: Chrome’s Update for Online Security?
If there’s one company that has to be concerned about online security, it has to be Google. With billions of daily users around the world, Google needs to be at par in terms of security if it wants to protect and maintain its users.
Google is planning to roll out a security feature that would enhance security to users by default. Called the “Private Network Access”, its main role is to protect users from suspicious websites, especially those who actively try to mask their bad intentions.
To fully understand this type of security roll out, it’s important to understand that current security features for online users prevent attacks directed to the user. This means a user’s IP address will not be revealed to the attacker which ultimately prevents it from snooping around the user’s activity as well as data access to the device itself. It’s a smart security feature that should be observed by everyone.
But the internet is getting bigger and bigger with more complicated transactions. A user interaction is no longer limited to trying to access a specific website for various reasons. A user has now access to a site that can create transactions to another website. For example, a user creates an online document and loads up a 3rd party tool to download images and videos. This website to website interaction could be exposed to different types of vulnerabilities not only to the user’s IP address but also to the website itself.
Private Network Access aims to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exposed by working as some sort of a “middle-person” as it checks the security of the website that started the request and the website receiving the request for information.
According to LaptopMag, this type of feature will give the user some sort of warning about the possible vulnerability but future updates will eventually disable this type of transaction to the users’ preferred website. The security feature is about to be in beta with an expected stable launch in March 2024.