For many, many months, Google He advocates for cracking down on websites that do not switch to the protocol. https, safer than the previous standard httpNow a new measure is being implemented through Chrome, your browser, to make it even clearer when a page offers an encrypted connection and when it does not.
Chrome for Android will flag http sites as insecure
Chrome It is the most widely used web browser in the world. Available on all platforms, this serves as a tool for Google to come up with its own ideas about how websites should work. Thus, in the case that concerns us today, Google Chrome is a tool to encourage the transfer from the old http protocol to the new and more secure https.
The reasons for Google For this, they are logical: https encrypts the communication between the browser and the server, providing a better everyday web browsing experience. It prevents third parties from easily spying on the data you send or receive (for example, passwords or form information) and reduces the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks.
However, making the change requires investing resources, so not all companies have done so. To encourage it, Google will mark http sites as not safe This is clearly visible in Chrome's address bar. This could lead many users to avoid browsing a page if they feel it's unsafe, so companies are encouraged to implement the update.
In addition to the "Not Safe" label, Chrome displays different safety warnings when it detects that a website may be dangerous. If a site is associated with phishing, malware, unwanted software or attempts at social engineeringThe browser displays a red screen with the message "Dangerous Site". These types of sites are included on the lists of Google Safe Browsing, a system that maintains an up-to-date database of pages potentially harmful to the user.
In Chrome's settings, the Safe Browsing option is enabled by default, and the level can be increased to Enhanced Safe Browsingwhich allows for faster, near real-time detection of new threats. Although there is an option to disable this protection, Google does not recommend it. and should only be done if the risks are fully understood.
Websites with https will be the standard
In the example of the image you can see how the change will be in the interface of Chrome to display the websites. In addition, the https sites will also be modified, since the current one will be left behind It is safe green, indicating the use of the new protocol. The roadmap of Chrome It assumes that HTTPS should be the norm and that only insecure connections are highlighted negatively.
HTTPS should be the standard, and this is how they intend to display it in ChromeThe idea is to eventually eliminate the padlock as well, so that if you don't see any warnings, it means you're browsing safely. From there, we're talking about a roadmap that only specifies the removal of the green color for indicating safe sites, so there aren't any firm dates yet for all the visual changes.
What is clear is the tremendous power it has Google with its browser. The enormous user base it has allows Google to make these kinds of moves which, fortunately, are aimed at improving the everyday securitybut in other cases it could be very worrying.
From a website owner's perspective, this has several clear implications. For one thing, user confidenceA "Not Safe" or "Dangerous Site" warning can scare away a large portion of your visitors, even if the page content isn't malicious. Furthermore, SEOGoogle has acknowledged that the use of HTTPS is a ranking signal and, all else being equal, pages with an SSL certificate tend to rank better than those that only use http.
Furthermore, if a site uses HTTP and at the same time hosts malicious content (for example, infected downloads or scripts injected by a Trojan for AndroidChrome will not only flag it as unsafe due to the protocol, but may also display additional warnings urging the user not to continue or not to download files marked as "dangerous." Even if the user insists on proceeding, the browser will remind them that this action is unsafe. not recommended.
Finally, it is worth remembering that A padlock isn't everything.Just because a website uses HTTPS means the connection is encrypted, doesn't guarantee the site is honest or well-protected in other ways. Similarly, there are still websites using HTTP that take care of certain aspects of their internal security, even though the lack of encryption remains a significant weakness. Google tries to balance these nuances with its warnings, but currently, the warning displayed in Chrome is the clearest tool for promoting a safer internet for everyone.
All these changes in Chrome, combined with the pressure exerted by other browsers and certificate authorities, mean that migrating from http to https is no longer an option but a necessity. basic need both to protect user data and to maintain the visibility and credibility of any online project.
