Google brings its Advanced Protection Program to Nest devices

Until now, it wasn't possible for users to use their Google Account with both Advanced Protection and Nest devices.

What you need to know

• Google has finally brought its Advanced Protection Program to Nest devices.
• The Advanced Protection Program offers additional safeguards against fraudulent access, phishing, and malware.
• It is aimed at people that are at high risk of targeted attacks, such as activists, journalists, and people working on elections.

Google's Advanced Protection Program, which is designed for high-risk users such as journalists, activists, and people working on elections, is now available for Nest users as well. Over the years, Google has integrated many of the security features of the Advanced Protection Program into GSuite, Chrome, and the Google Cloud Platform. The program offers extra safeguards that help protect your Google Account against phishing, malware, and unauthorized access.

Shuvo Chatterjee, Product Manager, Advanced Protection Program, wrote in a blog post:

Since we launched, one of our goals has been to bring Advanced Protection's features to other Google products. Over the years, we've incorporated many of them into GSuite, Google Cloud Platform, Chrome, and most recently, Android. We want as many users as possible to benefit from the additional levels of security that the Program provides.

To get started with Advanced Protection, you will need to have a phone running Android 7+ or iOS 10.0+. Android users can easily enroll in the program by activating their phone's security key. iOS users, on the other hand, will need to sign in to the Google Smart Lock app to activate a security key before enrolling in the Advanced Protection program.

Google Nest has rolled out a bunch of new security features this year, such as reCAPTCHA Enterprise to minimize chances of automated attacks and requiring two-factor authentication for users who haven't yet migrated their Nest account to a Google account.

Nest Cam

$129 at Amazon

The Nest Cam offers 24/7 live stream video in Full HD resolution, two-way audio, and Night Vision with 8 infrared LEDs. It is also capable of detecting motion and will send you an alert as soon as it thinks something is wrong.