Mistyped URLs Will Soon Get A Warning In Chrome - Olmec Skip to main content

Mistyped URLs Will Soon Get A Warning In Chrome

By February 19, 2019May 19th, 2022Technology News

At one point or another, everybody has done it.  You open a browser and type in the URL of a site you visit frequently.  In doing so, your finger slips and you mistype it.  Sometimes, nothing comes of it except that you get an error message. Knowing that, increasing numbers of hackers have gotten into the habit of buying up domains that are slight misspellings of popular, mainstream brands.

Invariably, the hackers will then create a site that looks identical to the real site.  A careless user won’t notice the difference.  From there, it’s as simple as generating a popup message asking the user to update an app (Flash player or the like) so they can properly view the site’s’ content, and the user is doomed.

Fortunately for users, big tech companies are actively looking for ways to curtail hacking activities, and the latest change Google is making to its Chrome browser seeks to address the exact phenomenon described above.

The company has been testing a new redirect feature since version 70 of the browser and it’s now ready for prime time.  In the latest build, you can enable it as an “experimental feature” if you want to give it a test drive.

The new feature is self-explanatory.  Chrome has an extensive database of likely typos.  When you make one, a drop-down panel will appear under the URL bar, which is a visual cue that you may be about to visit a site you hadn’t intended to.  Getting yourself redirected to the destination you intended from there is as simple as clicking.

Ultimately, this is destined to become a standard feature of Chrome, although there’s no set timetable for that.  For now, it’s easy to begin experimenting with the feature if you like.

Just visit: chrome://flags/#enable-lookalike-url-navigation-suggestions

Jason Manteiga

Jason J. Manteiga, Vice President of Olmec Systems, has been part of the company for over the past 20 years. He believes that having a great work environment and supportive team, is the ultimate key to success. Since being in the IT realm for over 25 years, Jason, along with Olmec Systems, has been on the Inc. 5000 “List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” and Channel Futures MSP 501 “Top Managed Service Providers in North America,” along with other awards and nominations. Jason earned his Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds certifications in Microsoft MCSE, VMWare VCP, and Cisco CCNA. In his spare time, Jason is a contributor for The Center for Social & Legal Research (Privacy Exchange) and a member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies include cycling and kayaking. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and son.