Google Korea to Host 'Safer with Google' on the 7th to Promote a Safe Online Environment

Highlighting Google's Various Efforts for Online Personal Information Protection Including Basic Security Settings

Google Korea held an online event called ‘Safer with Google’ on the 7th, a forum aimed at creating a safer online environment, to introduce the efforts Google is making to protect users online and to discuss future collaboration possibilities and directions with experts from corporations and public institutions.

Google Korea organized this event to introduce the Google Engineering Center, which develops leading security tools and technologies to help domestic users use Google products and the internet more safely, share various safety measures implemented by Google, raise awareness, and explore future directions.

Global Google executives participated as speakers in this first-ever event, including Kyungja Shin, Head of Marketing at Google Korea; Sangbu Kim, Head of Consumer Public Policy for Asia Pacific at Google; Heather Adkins, Vice President of Google Security Engineering; and Jonathan Skelker, Product Manager at Google Safety Engineering Center.

Kwanghee Choi, Head of the Digital Security Industry Division at the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA); Jin Kwak, Professor of Cybersecurity at Ajou University; and Seungwon Shin, Executive Director of the Security Team at Samsung Electronics MX Division, presented on the roles of public institutions, academia, and corporations in online security. Following this, they shared domestic online security issues and trends and introduced various tools and technologies jointly developed and operated by Google and Samsung to protect users safely.

Wontaeg Lee, President of the Korea Internet & Security Agency, congratulated the hosting of the first Safer with Google event in Korea, stating, “As a global company, Google needs to play a significant role in online security across the domestic and international IT industries through large-scale investments in security and strengthening security capabilities. We look forward to creating a safe online space that everyone can trust through active cooperation and exchange with Google in the future.”

Heather Adkins, Vice President of Google Security Engineering, introduced the documentary series ‘Hacking Google,’ which thinks like a hacker to prevent threats, saying, “Google has innovated its approach to security by inspecting every aspect and forming an elite expert team to proactively respond to rapidly evolving online threats. Google invests numerous resources to keep users safe, and the Google Engineering Center is a prime example. At the Google Engineering Center, 300 developers create tools and products for online security and privacy protection, and Google will continue these investments going forward.”

Google has threat-blocking features enabled by default across many Google services and products such as Gmail, Search, and Chrome. For Gmail, AI-enhanced spam filtering blocks up to 99.9% of spam, and Google Play conducts malware scans on over 100 billion applications daily. Additionally, Google has introduced automatic enrollment in two-step verification, which significantly reduces account hijacking risks and has been applied to 150 million Google accounts worldwide to date. Other built-in tools for Google accounts, such as the Password Manager and Security Checkup, also help protect users’ data.

Samsung Electronics is also proactive in protecting personal user information by developing technologies that encrypt user data on Galaxy devices and protect them from malware. Samsung continues these efforts through collaboration with Google.

Seungwon Shin, Executive Director of Samsung Electronics MX Security Team, said, “As industry leaders, Samsung and Google bear great responsibility and mission in developing security solutions that keep users safe. In particular, Android allows anyone to access open-source code, contributing to IT companies’ challenges and overcoming crises. Furthermore, Samsung and Google share security update information on Android and Galaxy-related vulnerabilities or issues to jointly and proactively respond to security concerns. Moving forward, both companies plan to actively cooperate to strengthen South Korea’s position as a global IT security powerhouse and continue efforts to provide users with a safer mobile experience.”

Meanwhile, to strengthen security technology, Google opened the Google Safety Engineering Center in Munich, Germany, in 2019. The center employs over 300 engineers specializing in safety technologies who develop privacy and security features and continue research and discussions on related technologies across various fields. Based on the research and in-depth discussions at the Safety Engineering Center, Google plans to continue hosting events like Safer with Google and lead public-private cooperation on online security to realize a safer online environment.