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Tag: not secure

  • Google Releases Chrome 68, Browser Labels All HTTP Websites as ‘Not Secure’

    Google Releases Chrome 68, Browser Labels All HTTP Websites as ‘Not Secure’

    The release of Chrome 68 has pushed forward Google’s campaign to drive Internet users to more secure websites. As it has promised several months ago, the company will now be labeling HTTP sites as Not Secure.

    Until recently, the company has only marked a small subset of sites as not secure. This was intentionally done to provide developers with more time to transition their sites to a more secure connection. However, the newest version of Google’s browser will now mark all unencrypted sites.

    Users who land on an unencrypted page will see the “Not Secure” label on the URL bar. A window with a warning will pop-up when users click on the label. The pop-up advises users not to enter any sensitive information on the site. The warning is more of a nudge to developers to adopt HTTPS protocols. It should not be considered a sign that the user has been hacked.

    Google has been pushing developers to make the change to HTTPS for years and each browser version moves this agenda further. After all, HTTPS sites are more secure. They can prevent malware attacks, stop cryptocurrency mining, and limit third-parties from utilizing targeted ads.

    So far, the company appears to be successful in making the Internet safer for everyone. As of February, more than 68 percent of traffic on Chrome was protected on Android and Windows while the numbers were 10 percent higher on Mac and the Chrome OS. What’s more, the majority of the 100 top sites on the Internet are now following HTTPS protocols.

    However, there are still more changes to come. Another version is set to follow Chrome 68 in September and users can expect to see the Secure label as being a less obvious black color. Meanwhile, the Not Secure label will reportedly be displayed in red when Chrome 70 rolls out in October.

    The company is hoping to make secured sites the norm in the near future, at which time it will do away with the secure tag.

  • Google to Remove HTTPS Secure Indicator in September

    Google to Remove HTTPS Secure Indicator in September

    The Secure URL label HTTPS will no longer be seen on Google Chrome by September of this year. Google believes that secure websites should be the norm and as such, do not need any more labels.

    The news was confirmed on May 17 by Google Chrome Security Product Manager Emily Schecter on the company’s official blog. According to Schecter, users of Chrome version 69 will no longer see the green “Secure” label and lock icon beside HTTPS secure websites starting in September. Meanwhile, sites without HTTPS certificates will trigger a “Not Secure” label on Chrome 70 by October.

    Schecter also explained that the move is because of the company’s belief that users understand that the web is a relatively safe place. HTTPS should be what all websites aim for and should be the default status. Therefore, it would be better if search engines give a warning about the few potentially dangerous sites rather than label the majority of websites as safe.

    To those who are still confused over HTTP and HTTPS, the latter is a more secure version of the former. The “S” at the end of the acronym actually stands for “Secure.” The program makes it a safer communication protocol for websites, thereby making it more difficult for malicious individuals to hack sites and snoop in data packets.

    Chrome’s move to do away with “Secure” labels and focus on red warning icons mean that site owners should be taking steps to secure their websites. It’s clear that the previous belief that only eCommerce sites would need to secure an SSL certificate no longer holds true.

    Every website will be affected by Google’s decision and a prominent warning icon attached to your site could have a detrimental effect on your business. Visitors and potential customers will be scared away, thus raising bounce metrics and possibly hurting your reputation.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]