NEW YORK: Google Inc on Wednesday proclaimed a free postponement for its Chrome web browser that better defends Google accounts, counting email, against online assailants trying to steal PINs and other personal info.

The extension, called PIN Alert, can be downloaded on Google Chrome and cautions users before they enter explanation info on “phishing” pages, or imitation sites intended to bargain passwords and access individual information, such as emails or online bank accounts.

Millions of phishing emails and websites are sent every day, Google said. Nearly 2 percent of messages sent through Gmail, Google’s email service, are designed to steal PINs.

“Right now, it’s left up to the user to decide whether or not to enter their password,” said Drew Hintz, the lead engineer for Password Alert. “We expect users to know the difference between these sites, and that’s an unreasonable request to make of users.”

The new extension, which took about three years to create, is an addition to Google’s other security measures, including safe browsing technology that warns users against potentially malicious sites and verification tools that help protect private accounts.