Like desktop site isolation, the feature uses OS processes to make it harder for attackers to steal data from other websites. Most importantly, it offers the most effective protection against spectre-like CPU vulnerabilities. However, since site isolation is a fairly resource-intensive feature, it will inevitably cause problems on Android devices. That’s why Chrome for Android uses a more subtle form of site isolation that only works on high-value sites where users log in with a password.

After the update, once Chrome identifies the password interaction on the website, future visits to that website will be protected by site isolation. This means that the website will appear in its own render selection process, keeping it isolated from other websites. If you go to another website, the tab automatically switches processes and cross-site iframes will be entered into the other process altogether. Fortunately, Chrome has already crowdsourced a list of websites where mobile users enter passwords most often, which means you’ll be protected on those sites from the get-go.

Chrome 77 for desktop also includes some changes to site isolation that will help protect against significantly stronger attacks. Previously, site isolation targeted “Spectrum” – like attacks that could drain data from a particular rendering process. With the update, site isolation will now be able to handle serious attacks in which the rederer process is completely compromised by a security bug.

In Chrome 77, site isolation will help protect several types of sensitive data from such compromised rendering processes, including:

In addition, Google plans to continue to improve the protection of compromised render as follows:

Want more messages like this delivered to your Inbox? Enter your email to subscribe to our newsletter.

Literature and linguistics graduate with great interest in everything Android. When pranob doesn’t write about technology, he spends most of his time playing League of Legends or hiding out on Reddit.

Get the latest Android

Are you a developer? Life

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and Google’s Privacy Policy and terms of service apply.