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Tag: website security

  • 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]

  • Google Chrome Browser Will Label HTTP Sites as ‘Not Secure’ Come July

    Google Chrome Browser Will Label HTTP Sites as ‘Not Secure’ Come July

    Google has been warning people about the dangers of unencrypted websites for years. But now the company is taking more concrete steps by declaring all HTTP sites as “not secure” starting in July 2018.

    Google recently announced that the Chrome browser would soon start marking all HTTP sites as “not secure.” These are the websites that don’t have a “secure” message or an icon of a green padlock on the address bar.

    In a blog post, Chrome security product manager Emily Schecter confirmed that users will start seeing these changes by July, when Chrome 68 is expected to roll out. The new interface will reportedly continue Google’s push for a more secure web by forcing websites to use HTTPS.

    HTTP is an acronym for hypertext transfer protocol. It’s the standard that makes it possible for users to view and interact with various web pages. However, this interaction or communication as it is, between the user and the website’s servers is unencrypted. This means there’s a possibility that information that passes between the user and the website can be intercepted.

    Meanwhile, communication is safer with HTTPS. The “S” in the said acronym stands for “secure.” Any information that happens between a user and an HTTPS website is encrypted, so it’s protected against malicious individuals who might steal information.

    Google has been advocating for sites to take advantage of HTTPS encryption. It even ranked sites using HTTPS higher in Chrome’s search results in a bid to encourage web developers into utilizing the technology. Google has also been trying to educate users on why HTTP sites are not secure.

    The company appears to be making progress as more developers have migrated their websites to HTTPS. More than 68 percent of Chrome traffic on Android is now protected while more than 78 percent is safeguarded on Mac. And of the top 100 sites, 81 are now using HTTPS.

    However, switching to HTTPS isn’t as easy as it looks. Smaller and newer sites might find moving to that protocol easier with the plug-and-play certificates that servers offer. But larger sites will find transitioning harder since their whole domain has to protect.

    [Featured image via Google]