Last week, there was a lot of coverage on Chrome’s decision to use an alert warning of “not secure” to users on sights that are http, not https. What is https, and how does it differ from http? Https is a more secure encrypted website connection. The “s” stands for secure, the safer version of “hypertext transfer protocol.” In the past, it was used more for passwords and sensitive data, but it is now becoming the standard for websites that are switching from http.
While http has been around since the beginning of the internet, it has become stale in its ability to defend itself against cyber attacks. Chrome, Google and Mozilla, among others, have been encouraging websites to switch to the secure https. Http leaves everyone vulnerable in today’s atmosphere of cyber insecurity, especially wifi on planes and in public spaces, like hotels and restaurants.
What can you do to stay secure? Be diligent in checking whether a site is https, especially if you are engaging in financial transactions. If your company has a website, make sure that the necessary switch is made to https. Simply put, https is the future.
