Bitdefender unveils feature guarding users from malicious links sent through chats

Romanian cyber-security provider Bitdefender recently unveiled the new Chat Protection feature of its Mobile Security app, which is designed to safeguard users from malicious links sent through chat apps.

Chat Protection is designed to stop users from accessing dangerous links and prevent the latter from being shared more.

Chat Protection is included in the Bitdefender Mobile Security app for Android and functions through the Scam Alert technology. The latter is used to monitor, detect, and stop cyber-attacks originating in links sent through messaging apps, notifications, and text messages. Links sent through Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Discord will be verified by Bitdefender’s Chat Protection.

"When dangerous links are detected during chat sessions, the user receives a warning along with information about the associated risks and a recommendation for immediate action. If the warnings are ignored, the integrated web protection technologies prevent the user from navigating to the infected web page,” the company's representatives explained.

Bitdefender warns that the over two billion people who use WhatsApp and over a billion who use Facebook Messenger globally are at risk from cyber threats and scams delivered through the two messaging apps. Together with SMS text messages, they are some of the main sources of risk to mobile phone users. According to Bitdefender's internal data, spam and dangerous internet domains together account for 85% of the infected URLs detected.

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