Google Safe Browsing API for email security

As we've covered before here, here, here, and here, the Google Safe Browsing API can be leveraged to provide increased email security.

While Google Safe Browsing is more commonly associated with protecting users as they browse web sites, its API can also be deployed to provide realtime scanning against malicious threats via email.

SEE ALSO: Google & HIPAA Compliance: The Ultimate Guide

Google Safe Browsing API

As per Google's description, Safe Browsing is a Google service that lets client applications check URLs against Google's constantly updated lists of unsafe web resources.

Examples of unsafe web resources are social engineering sites (phishing and deceptive sites) and sites that host malware or unwanted software.

With Safe Browsing you can:

• Check pages against our Safe Browsing lists based on platform and threat types.
• Warn users before they click links in your site that may lead to infected pages.
• Prevent users from posting links to known infected pages from your site.

Google Safe Browsing API for Email Security

The Google Safe Browsing API can also be extended for email security.

With a mind on email security, you can also:

• Stop email with phishing links from reaching your users' inboxes.
• Stop email with malware links from reaching your users' inboxes.
• Stop email with phishing or malware links included in attachments from reaching your users' inboxes.

Email Security is an Ongoing Process

We bring 19 years' of experience in email security with Paubox. Over that time, the methods and vectors of attack have evolved.

Several things remain constant however:

• The motivations are always money and information.
• Email will outlive us all.

HIPAA Email Breaches Continue

As we continue to cover HIPAA email breaches as they are reported to HHS, we've noticed a disturbing trend: There are a surprising number of HIPAA email breaches occurring with customers who use Microsoft 365 for email service.

Some recent examples include:

• Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities
• Terros Incorporated
• HealthEquity, Inc
  
  

The question begins to beg itself: Does Microsoft incorporate Google Safe Browsing API for email security, and if not, why? The sun no longer revolves around Redmond, Washington, and it hasn't for a long time.