In new versions, the two browsers will flag sites that still use the HTTP protocol to handle passwords and credit card data
The fate of the HTTP protocol is sealed, at least on Chrome and Firefox. In an effort to create a more secure web, Google and Mozilla browsers will in fact report as not secure websites that use HTTP protocol to transmit passwords and other sensitive information.
The most attentive users will surely have noticed that the service was already launched in beta version a few months ago on both browsers. Now after a period of testing, the warnings will be effective. In particular, Chrome has decided to start with a gradual path: first it will indicate only HTTP sites that handle access keys and credit card data, and then finally it will report all websites not protected by the HTTPS protocol. And probably Firefox will follow a similar path. In the new versions, Chrome 56 and Firefox 51, users will be warned when they open a site that still uses the old and dangerous HTTP protocol.
Here's how Chrome and Firefox warn users
The two browsers apply more or less the same "warning" system. Only the icon changes. Firefox warns users that the connection is not secure when they are browsing sites that require passwords or credit card information. Mozilla's browser in this case will show a padlock with a red dash on it. Chrome, on the other hand, will report unsafe pages with an exclamation point icon accompanied by the description "unsafe site". Both browsers will continue to use the famous green padlock in presence of protected sites. The two companies move in unison against the HTTP protocol:
HTTPS vs HTTP
When we open a website that uses the HTTP protocol someone could read or modify the page before we load it. Therefore, not being an encrypted site, the chances that it contains malware are very high. Result: our data could be easily intercepted. The job of the HTTPS protocol is to protect these transmissions. So it becomes essential, especially because of the constant hacker attacks, to be careful which sites we entrust our data to. And the two browsers have stepped in to help us.