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Windows Defender Browser Protection for Google Chrome

Posted April 2018 by Steve Sinchak

Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 includes the Windows Defender SmartScreen service for years that prevents users from accidentally browsing to known malicious and fake phishing websites. While Microsoft Edge is a great browser and has many very strong security features, Microsoft understands that many people choose to use Google Chrome.  As such, Microsoft still cares about the security of the web browser that you use because after all, the web browser remains to be the number one attack vector to infect your PC.  To help Google Chrome protect your PC, Microsoft has released the Windows Defender Browser Protection extension for Google Chrome.

Built upon the same great Windows Defender SmartScreen service in Microsoft Edge, the new extension for Google Chrome will throw up a big red alert page when visiting a known website distributing malware or posing as a fake website.

To set up the Microsoft browser extension for Chrome, just visit this link in Chrome and click “Add to Chrome.”

Next, click Add extension.

Once installed, you will find the Windows Defender Browser Protection icon to the right of the address bar in Google Chrome.

Windows Defender Browser Protection Icon

How do you know if the new extension is working? Microsoft has a SmartScreen test site that is available by visiting https://demo.smartscreen.msft.net/

Just click on any of the URL Rep Demos to test the browser extension to ensure it is working.

Windows Defender Browser Protection Test Page

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