Google’s parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) has announced a new cookie protection feature.
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Specifically, Alphabet has made its Device Bound Session Credentials publicly available for Windows users on Chrome 146, with macOS support coming in a few months. The feature addresses session theft, which occurs when malware downloads onto a device and extracts session cookies from the browser.
Malware harvests these credentials, which attackers then use to access user accounts without passwords. Google said once malware accesses a machine, no reliable method exists to prevent cookie exfiltration on an operating system. However, its new protection feature should help.
Growing Online Threats
Alphabet said that its system uses the Trusted Platform Module on Windows and the Secure Enclave on macOS to generate a unique public/private key pair that cannot be exported from the machine. New short-lived session cookies are issued only when Chrome proves the private key to the server.
The new online security measure from Alphabet comes as concerns grow about online threats and cyberattacks, particularly from quantum computers and artificial intelligence (A.I.). Management at Alphabet has made cybersecurity a priority as they advance A.I. technologies and products.
Is GOOGL Stock a Buy?
The stock of Alphabet has a consensus Strong Buy rating among 30 Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on 25 Buy and five Hold recommendations issued in the last three months. The average GOOGL price target of $377.90 implies 19% upside from current levels.
