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| Google is working on an option to block insecure HTTP downloads in Chrome |
With Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) becoming more popular on the Internet, Google is working on a new security feature in the Chrome web browser that should prevent "insecure" downloads.
While HTTPS used to be only popular on websites like banks that demanded more privacy, the protocol is now the default choice for most websites, especially as more and more websites handle user data on a daily basis.
In recent years, Google Chrome has added new protections to encourage the use of HTTPS connections, even marking all old HTTP sites as "Not Secure" in the address bar.
By default, Chrome also blocks secure websites that offer insecure downloads over HTTP (HTTP), a mixture of secure and insecure known as "mixed content".
Recently, the company created an option in Google's security settings to disable or enable Always use a secure connection. With this option enabled, Chrome must look for the secure (HTTPS) version of visited websites to prevent users from accidentally switching to an insecure (HTTP) version. If no secure version is available, a warning will appear on the screen asking the user: Do you want to continue?
Google is trying to extend this option to protect browser users from suspected insecure (HTTP) downloads based on Chrome code changes and their associated interpretations.
For example, if a user clicks an HTTPS download link and is redirected to an insecure HTTP server, followed by a final HTTPS connection, Chrome will block the download as insecure. Of course, when a user is browsing a site that can only be accessed via the HTTP protocol, the browser blocks any downloads from that site.
However, there is a way to bypass this blocking as it is a common practice to block dangerous websites and downloads where the browser ensures users know what they are doing by continuing to download from dangerous websites.
Since the feature is still in development, full testing won't be possible until Chrome version 111 launches in March 2023, the final planned launch date. Browser release later next year.