Browsers & Accounts · How Browsers Keep You Safe · Lesson 3 of 5

Safe Browsing Warnings

What the red warning pages mean, and the protection levels behind them.

The red page means stop

Sometimes a link opens a bright red page instead of the website. That page is your browser stepping in front of you. It is one of the most useful warnings on the internet.

Browsers check addresses and downloads against lists of known bad sites. These are sites caught doing phishing (fake sign-in pages that steal passwords), spreading malware (harmful software), or pushing scams.

• Chrome uses Google Safe Browsing. Its red page is titled Dangerous site.
• Edge uses Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, the same family as the Windows check you met before. Its page says This site has been reported as unsafe.
• Firefox and Safari also use Google Safe Browsing lists, with their own warning pages.

Chrome may also show softer warnings, like Did you mean followed by a different site name. That appears when an address looks like a copy of a famous site with a letter changed.

What should you do on a red page?

1. Choose the button that takes you back. In Chrome it is Back to safety.
2. Don't hunt for the small details link that lets you continue anyway.
3. If a message or email sent you there, delete it. Don't sign in from that link.
4. If you need the real site, type its address yourself or use a bookmark.

Could the warning be wrong? Rarely, yes. A real site can be hacked and flagged, or flagged by mistake. Either way, waiting is safe. The owner can fix it, and the warning goes away.

One more thing. No red page does not mean a site is safe. Brand new scam sites may not be on any list yet. The warning is a seat belt, not a reason to stop looking.

Standard, Enhanced and what they send

You can choose how hard your browser checks. Here is what the settings mean.

In Chrome, go to the menu, then Settings, then Privacy and security, then Security. Under Safe Browsing there are three levels:

• Enhanced protection. Chrome checks sites, downloads and extensions in real time, and can catch threats Google doesn't know about yet. It also warns you if a password you use shows up in a data breach, a leak of account details from a company.
• Standard protection. The default. Chrome checks against known bad sites and downloads.
• No protection (not recommended). No warnings at all. Leave this alone.

Enhanced has a trade-off. To check in real time, Chrome sends the addresses you visit, small samples of pages and some details about your computer to Google. Some people are happy with that for the extra safety. Others prefer Standard. Both are reasonable. No protection is not.

In Edge, go to Settings, then Privacy, search, and services, then Security. Keep Microsoft Defender SmartScreen turned on. Edge also has an option called Enhance your security on the web, with Balanced and Strict modes. It hardens the browser itself, and Balanced focuses on sites you rarely visit. Strict can make some sites act oddly.

In Firefox, look in Privacy & Security for Block dangerous and deceptive content. In Safari, look in its Security settings for the fraudulent website warning.

On a work computer, these may be locked by your IT team. That is normal. If a warning ever blocks something you need for work, ask them instead of trying to get around it.