• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Google

There Are About to Be Far More ‘Non-Secure’ Sites on the Web

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 8, 2016, 11:00 AM ET
Inside The Google I|O Developers Conference
Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Apps for Google Inc., watches a demonstration during the Google I/O Annual Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Google Inc. unveiled a new version of its Android software for smartphones and other devices as it battles Apple Inc. to be the foundation for mobile technology. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDavid Paul Morris—Bloomberg via Getty Images

Expect to see more security warnings from the world’s most popular web browser in 2017.

Google (GOOG) Chrome, the search giant’s flagship browser, will begin labeling more websites as dangerous starting next year, according to plans previewed with Fortune. The change will affect certain unsecured webpages that feature entry fields for sensitive data, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

A note of caution will emblazon any webpages asking for sensitive data that are powered by HTTP—a standard data transmission protocol—rather than HTTPS—a newer and more secure specification favored by many cybersecurity experts. In the address bar, you’ll notice a new prefix: “Non secure.”

Google Chrome URL security warning
Courtesy of Google

See also: How Hackers Plan Attacks and Hide Their Tracks

The move represents a step forward in the Web’s steady, inevitable march from HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). The latter version is sealed with protective encryption, preventing snoops and middle-men attackers from eavesdropping on, stealing, or manipulating data sent between an online service and a user, (thus keeping things like your bank account login details private, for instance).

Most websites that trade in confidential data, like banks and e-commerce outfits, have recognized the virtues of HTTPS, and began employing it long ago. Google, which prides itself on the security of its product, wants that mindset—and the quantity of Internet traffic protected with encryption—to spread.

“We will begin our plan to label HTTP sites more clearly and accurately as non­-secure in gradual steps based on increasingly stringent criteria,” writes Emily Schechter of the Chrome security team in a blog post. “Eventually, we plan to label all HTTP pages as non-­secure.”

For more on Chrome, watch Fortune’s video:

Google has already begun pushing for HTTPS in other ways. Recently, the company began boosting the rankings of websites that use HTTPS, using its search algorithm. Other companies, such as video streaming service Netflix (NFLX), have been rolling out the tech for some time.

The update is slated to be part of Chrome version 56, due out in January, Google said. In future updates, the company says it will begin to denote HTTP pages displayed in the browser’s more private “incognito” mode as “non secure,” too. Eventually, the Google team plans to deploy a more alarming red triangle “warning” icon for HTTP sites, it said.

For website owners everywhere, the development portends an inexorable trend: Google’s intentions are clear, and the days of HTTP are drawing to a close.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Julia Hartz, the cofounder and CEO of Eventbrite
Successchief executive officer (CEO)
Eventbrite CEO sold her company for $500 million—without a job for the first time since 15, she’s playing chess with a robot and eyeing internships
By Emma BurleighMay 3, 2026
20 minutes ago
Zoom is giving away $150K to ‘solopreneurs’ with no strings attached—as 33 million workers ditch corporate to become their own boss
SuccessCareers
Zoom is giving away $150K to ‘solopreneurs’ with no strings attached—as 33 million workers ditch corporate to become their own boss
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 3, 2026
1 hour ago
Trump vows to reduce U.S. troops in Germany ‘a lot further’ than 5,000 as defense official says armed services were blindsided by move
EuropeMilitary
Trump vows to reduce U.S. troops in Germany ‘a lot further’ than 5,000 as defense official says armed services were blindsided by move
By Kirsten Grieshaber, Emma Burrows, Aamer Madhani and The Associated PressMay 2, 2026
7 hours ago
 Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but ‘can’t imagine that it would be acceptable’
PoliticsIran
 Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but ‘can’t imagine that it would be acceptable’
By Aamer Madhani, Sarah El Deeb, Cara Anna and The Associated PressMay 2, 2026
7 hours ago
Can the ‘blue economy’ deliver on its promise? Investors are starting see the ocean as an asset worth protecting
CommentaryConservation
Can the ‘blue economy’ deliver on its promise? Investors are starting see the ocean as an asset worth protecting
By Natalie Sum Yue ChungMay 2, 2026
8 hours ago
Iran juggles oil cuts and storage strain to resist U.S. blockade
EnergyIran
Iran juggles oil cuts and storage strain to resist U.S. blockade
By Anthony Di Paola, Ben Bartenstein, Patrick Sykes, Weilun Soon, Charles Gorrivan and BloombergMay 2, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
Personal Finance
Scott Bessent on financial literacy: 'it drives me crazy' to see young men in blue-collar construction jobs playing the lottery
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressMay 1, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
Economy
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
By Jacqueline MunisMay 2, 2026
17 hours ago
Stop donating to Harvard and the Ivy League. There's a better option that MacKenzie Scott already figured out
Commentary
Stop donating to Harvard and the Ivy League. There's a better option that MacKenzie Scott already figured out
By Ed Smith-LewisMay 2, 2026
23 hours ago
The American household just took an 81% margin cut. Wall Street hasn’t priced it in
Commentary
The American household just took an 81% margin cut. Wall Street hasn’t priced it in
By Katica RoyMay 2, 2026
20 hours ago
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
Law
A Chick-fil-A worker got fired and then showed up behind the register to allegedly refund himself over $80,000 in mac and cheese
By Catherina GioinoMay 1, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 1, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.