Not all the pages that exist on the Internet are safe. That is evidence. It is true that over time the protocols have improved and it is less likely to suffer attacks, but there is always a risk. A clear example is when entering unencrypted HTTP pages, which can be used by cybercriminals to steal information. Although there are fewer and fewer, they still exist. Now, Google Chrome releases a major change to improve security.
Chrome has decided to enable HTTPS by default when we enter any web page. That is, if we enter the HTTP URL, it will automatically update to HTTPS to make that browsing more secure. This means that the connection will be encrypted, something especially useful when you enter from public Wi-Fi networks.
Chrome enables HTTPS by default
They have called this feature HTTPS-First. It already existed, but now it will come configured by default for all users. When someone enters an HTTP website, it will automatically switch to HTTPS. It is estimated that more than 90% of websites are currently HTTPS. There is still a smaller percentage, between 5 and 10%, that are HTTP.
Until now, when we entered an HTTP website, an alert message would appear indicating that this site might not be secure. But of course, many users ignored this message. Therefore, the risk was still present. They could be victims of computer attacks that seek to steal information.
This function will tell the browser to automatically update to HTTPS, even if we enter from an HTTP link. It will make browsing safer, with less chance of having problems. One more security measure that joins the many that have been introduced from Google.
But what if a website doesn’t have HTTPS version? In that case, Chrome will treat it as a failure to update that URL and allow access to the HTTP version. That will only happen when there is no encrypted version available.
It does not mean that the web is safe
Keep in mind that the fact of browsing HTTPS web pages does not mean that they are secure. In fact, many domains used to launch phishing attacks and other security threats are actually encrypted pages. Hackers, in order to avoid alerts like the ones Chrome launches, have been changing the way they deliver fake sites and have abandoned the use of HTTP sites.
Therefore, although this function makes browsing through Google Chrome more secure, it is important to always maintain the same security rules. You should be careful about where you click, where you put your personal data or what files you download. It is key to always have a good antivirus, as well as to have everything updated.
In short, Google Chrome has released a new feature to further improve security. It will allow it to automatically update from HTTP to HTTPS, when we enter an unencrypted web page, whenever it is available. You can always make Chrome ask to sign in and other security measures.
