In April, Google Chrome users will have no more choice when it comes to securing their internet browsing experience. The company has announced that HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) will become the default web protocol for all users by October 2026 with the release of Chrome 154.
However, a precursor to this change will be seen in April when Chrome 147 drops. At that point, Always Use Secure Connections for public sites will be enabled by default, meaning that users will be prompted for permission every time they access a website that doesn't use HTTPS. This will happen automatically when Enhanced Safe Browsing protections are turned on.
Google has been pushing towards this goal of using more secure connections for some time now. The company started alerting users to unsecured HTTP websites in 2018 and began defaulting to HTTPS in April 2021, before eventually offering Always Use Secure Connections as an optional feature the following year.
According to Google, enabling Always Use Secure Connections by default is a necessary step to protect users from malicious actors who can exploit unsecured HTTP connections. In a blog post, the Chrome team explained that hackers have been using insecure HTTP websites to compromise user devices with malware and social engineering attacks. By making HTTPS the default, Google aims to prevent such security threats.
However, it's worth noting that HTTPS won't be enabled for private sites like local IP addresses or company intranets. These types of connections are less risky than those on public websites but still carry some vulnerability risks within the local network.
However, a precursor to this change will be seen in April when Chrome 147 drops. At that point, Always Use Secure Connections for public sites will be enabled by default, meaning that users will be prompted for permission every time they access a website that doesn't use HTTPS. This will happen automatically when Enhanced Safe Browsing protections are turned on.
Google has been pushing towards this goal of using more secure connections for some time now. The company started alerting users to unsecured HTTP websites in 2018 and began defaulting to HTTPS in April 2021, before eventually offering Always Use Secure Connections as an optional feature the following year.
According to Google, enabling Always Use Secure Connections by default is a necessary step to protect users from malicious actors who can exploit unsecured HTTP connections. In a blog post, the Chrome team explained that hackers have been using insecure HTTP websites to compromise user devices with malware and social engineering attacks. By making HTTPS the default, Google aims to prevent such security threats.
However, it's worth noting that HTTPS won't be enabled for private sites like local IP addresses or company intranets. These types of connections are less risky than those on public websites but still carry some vulnerability risks within the local network.