Google Chrome Will Display “Not Secure” Warning Later This Year

In an age where 50% of users don’t trust e-commerce, browsing online with Google Chrome is about to get a little more secure, and the company has announced a new “Not Secure” warning that will start appearing later this year.

In an effort to encourage site owners and webmasters to fully convert to HTTPS, the Chrome browser will show the warning message on unsecured pages that have search boxes or forms that can be filled out. If you have your own blog where you sell things, this is especially important news, and a great time to make the conversion.

Google’s statement read, “In October 2017, Chrome will show the ‘Not secure’ warning in two additional situations: when users enter data on an HTTP page, and on all HTTP pages visited in Incognito mode.”

The plan to label traditional HTTP sites as non secure has been taking place gradually. Since Chrome 56, there has been a reduction in over 20% in navigations to HTTP pages that have either a password form or a credit card forms. Of course, Google notes, there’s a lot more that should be protected beyond passwords and credit cards. Any data entered on an unsecured page could potentially be accessible to others on the network, so Chrome 62 (a version that will include Google’s built in ad blocker) will show the “Not secure” warning when users type any data into an HTTP sites.

Google added that updates would be published periodically, but users shouldn’t wait to get started with the move to HTTPS. It’s “easier and cheaper than ever before,” their statement read, and it enables both the best performance the web offers and powerful new features that are too sensitive for HTTP.”