How to enable and use Chrome’s built in malware scanner?

After the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal, it is tough to believe that internet browsing is always safe even if it is on Google or other tech giant. But, now Chrome ensures you safe browsing because it has default malware scanner. Google Chrome’s default scanning activity was first observed by a security researcher Kelly Shortridge who detailed about this on twitter.

I was wondering why my Canarytoken (a file folder) was triggering & discovered the culprit was chrome.exe. Turns out @googlechrome quietly began performing AV scans on Windows devices last fall. Wtf m8? This isn’t a system dir, either, it’s in \Documents\ pic.twitter.com/IQZPSVpkz7

— Kelly Shortridge (@swagitda_) March 29, 2018

This Google Chrome defense tool is the updated version of Chrome Cleanup Tool. This built in malware scanner is in existence without any huge publicity from Google.

This Chrome clean up is based on ESET’s technology that keeps looking for malware that could integrate with Chrome and install malicious extensions or bombard ads. It detects and sends information to Google and it prompts you whether to delete the malicious files or not.

Chrome’s security head Justin Schuh detailed that CCT is not a general purpose AV. “Its sole purpose is to detect and remove unwanted software manipulating Chrome.”

This software runs in the background with normal user privileges for around 15 minutes every week, but you can also manually run a scan when you want by following the below given steps.

You may type and search for “chrome://settings/cleanup” in your browser or go to Settings > Reset and clean up > Clean up computer. You may follow these instructions especially when your Chrome browser works slow.