According to TechRepublic, Google has issued a critical warning about a sharp rise in sophisticated “account takeovers” targeting Chrome users, driven by phishing and credential theft which account for 37% of successful intrusions. The company revealed that email-based infostealer attacks have skyrocketed 84% in 2024 compared to 2023, and the problem is intensifying in 2025. In response, Google is rolling out new defenses for Workspace accounts, including making passkeys available to millions of users and launching an open beta for Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC) to combat cookie theft. They are also urging all users to move away from passwords and insecure SMS-based two-factor authentication immediately. The core risk is that Chrome Sync, which stores everything from bookmarks and history to passwords and payment info, becomes a single point of catastrophic failure if your Google account is breached.
The Sync Convenience Is a Security Trap
Here’s the uncomfortable truth we all ignore: browser sync is terrifyingly convenient. It’s also a massive liability. Think about it. You’re not just syncing your bookmarks. You’re handing Google—and by extension, any hacker who cracks your account—your entire digital skeleton key. That means every saved password, every autofill address, and yes, even your payment info if you’ve saved it. It’s all there, tied to one login. Security experts have warned about this for years, treating the built-in browser password manager as a single point of failure. And now, with attacks becoming more automated and targeted, that failure is happening way more often. So what do you do? You can go nuclear and disable Chrome Sync entirely. Or, you can at least “Customize sync” and turn off the syncing of passwords and payment details. It’s a pain, no doubt. But it’s a much smaller pain than getting every account you own drained.
Google’s New Post-Breach Playbook
So, how is Google trying to fix this? The new tools are interesting because they focus on defense after credentials are stolen. That’s key. The old model was “keep the password safe.” The new reality is “assume it will leak.” That’s where Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC) come in. Basically, instead of a session cookie that can be copied and pasted from a hacked computer to an attacker’s machine, DBSC ties that session to the specific physical device. Steal the cookie file? Useless. It’s a smart move against a booming attack method. The push for passkeys is the other big pillar. They’re phishing-resistant and, let’s be honest, often easier than passwords once set up. Google says they’re 40% faster, which is a nice bonus. The third piece, the Shared Signals Framework, is about letting other platforms tell Google, “Hey, we just saw something sketchy with this user’s data,” so Google can lock things down faster. It’s all about layering defenses.
What You Actually Need To Do
Look, the guidance here is simple but annoying. First, kill SMS-based 2FA. Just stop using it. It’s not safe. Use an authenticator app or, better yet, a passkey where possible. For your Google account specifically, set up a passkey right now. Second, seriously reconsider what you’re syncing in Chrome. Do you really need all your passwords floating in Google’s cloud? A dedicated password manager, while not perfect, at least isolates that risk from your browser account. Third, for the love of all that is secure, use that passphrase option for Chrome Sync if you must use it. It encrypts your synced data on Google’s servers with a key they don’t have. The trade-off? You lose some convenience features like Smart Lock. That’s the choice: a little inconvenience now, or a world of hurt later. For broader best practices on secure communication, the CISA guidance is a solid, if dry, resource. The bottom line? Google’s warning isn’t theoretical. The attacks are up, way up. And your synced browser is the jackpot.
