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Chrome is calling out insecure websites starting today

Site that don’t use HTTPS will be labeled “not secure.”

Chrome is calling out insecure websites starting today

[Photo: Arthur Osipyan/Unsplash]

BY Michael Grothaus0 minute read

With Chrome 68, launching today, Google web browser will now list any website that doesn’t use HTTPS as “not secure.” HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and is a technology websites can use that ensures that any information you send to or get from the website is encrypted, meaning third parties can’t see what information you are sending or receiving. In other words, the secure version of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

But shockingly, over half of the 1 million top websites still use HTTP without redirecting to an HTTPS connection–meaning it’s a lot easier for bad actors to grab your data en route. Just as worrying, 20% of the largest 502 websites in the world load over HTTP and not HTTPS, according to Troy Hunt. At least, from today, Chrome users will be able to know which websites are still insecure–and avoid them if they so choose.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Grothaus is a novelist and author. He has written for Fast Company since 2013, where he's interviewed some of the tech industry’s most prominent leaders and writes about everything from Apple and artificial intelligence to the effects of technology on individuals and society. Michael’s current tech-focused areas of interest include AI, quantum computing, and the ways tech can improve the quality of life for the elderly and individuals with disabilities More


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