Google has introduced a major security upgrade for Chrome on Windows with the release of Chrome 127. This update brings a new feature called app-bound encryption, designed to better protect your sensitive information.
What is App-Bound Encryption?
App-bound encryption is a new way of securing data in Chrome. Unlike the old system, which only encrypted data but didn’t specifically tie it to the application, this new method ties encryption to the Chrome app itself. This means that sensitive information, like cookies, is encrypted in a way that only Chrome can decrypt.
Will Harris from the Chrome security team explained, “In Chrome 127, we are adding a new layer of security for Windows users. App-bound encryption ties the encryption to the app’s identity, similar to how the Keychain works on macOS. This makes it much harder for malicious software to access your data.”
How It Works
When Chrome encrypts your data, it uses a special service to attach the app’s identity to the encrypted information. When someone tries to decrypt this data, the service checks if the request is coming from Chrome. If it’s not, the decryption fails. This means that even if malware is running on your computer, it won’t be able to access this encrypted data unless it can trick Chrome itself.
Why This Matters
This update initially protects cookies, but Google plans to extend this encryption to other sensitive information like passwords and payment details in the future. Currently, Chrome uses the Windows data protection API to secure data, but malware running with your user privileges can still access it. The new encryption method makes it much harder for malware to get your data because it needs system-level access or to directly compromise Chrome.
Conclusion
The new app-bound encryption in Chrome 127 for Windows is a big step forward in keeping your data safe. Make sure to update your Chrome browser to benefit from this enhanced security.