1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,800
Odds are that you use Google Chrome or a Chromium based browser, so you ought to know there's

2
00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,360
a change coming in September that's subtle, but very important. If you're watching this video

3
00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,080
on Chrome with a desktop or laptop, take a look at the upper left corner of your screen and you'll

4
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:20,400
see a little padlock icon next to the URL. This indicates that the site you're on is using HTTPS,

5
00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:25,760
but Google has decided to retire the lock. But what the heck is HTTPS and why do we care about

6
00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:32,080
the lock icon at all? HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure, and it's a variation

7
00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:37,120
of standard HTTP, which is the communications protocol that webpages use. Among other things,

8
00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,960
HTTP allows for basic but crucial functionality such as data retrieval, authentication,

9
00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:49,280
and the ability to click on links, which I've enjoyed. What makes HTTPS more secure is that it

10
00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,840
encrypts the links to whichever website you're using. What this does is keep any information

11
00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:59,120
that you send to the website, or that the site sends to you, from being read or seen by anyone

12
00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:04,080
intercepting it. This is especially important if you're using public Wi-Fi as these networks are

13
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:09,680
often unsecured, meaning any unencrypted traffic can be read by an attacker connected to the same

14
00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,320
network. All they need is a freely available program called a packet sniffer. And even if you're not

15
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:19,920
doing anything sensitive, HTTPS prevents the ability of third parties to modify your connection.

16
00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:25,600
For example, AT&T was caught several years ago injecting ads into users' browser sessions

17
00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:30,800
while they were connected to free AT&T hotspots at a major airport. I mean, I got time at an

18
00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:36,640
airport, but not that much time. Additionally, HTTPS enables security certificates. What these do

19
00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:42,320
is let you know that the website you're on matches the URL in the address bar, and that you're not

20
00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:47,600
on a potentially malicious site that's just spoofing the one you actually want to be on.

21
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,880
Because of the obvious benefits of HTTPS, over 80% of websites now use it. But that's still

22
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,600
a significant part of the web that doesn't. I mean, one in five? So why would Google be

23
00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:02,240
getting rid of an easy way to reassure you that the site you're looking at is using it?

24
00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:06,960
Although HTTPS is useful, it certainly isn't foolproof. I mean, how many cases have you heard

25
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:11,520
of of identity theft or other personal information being stolen even though most websites use it?

26
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:17,600
The thing is, any website can make use of HTTPS, including phishing sites or sites that

27
00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,680
will try to install malware on your PC. Remember that it only really prevents the

28
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:26,720
interception of data and has no way of knowing if the site you're using has ill intent. But,

29
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,520
unfortunately, it appears that that little padlock icon has lulled many a user into a

30
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:37,520
false sense of security. According to Google, only 11% of users understand what the lock icon means,

31
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:43,200
and it's a safe bet that many of that other 89% think that the lock means that a site is

32
00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,760
trustworthy, full stop. Google discovered this through research studies, in which a large number

33
00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:53,600
of users indicated that the lock icon meant that a hypothetical shopping site would be safe to use.

34
00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:59,280
But what if it wasn't safe to use? This confusion is precisely why Google says the lock icon needs

35
00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:05,200
to go. Instead, it's actually going to be replaced by something new, something they call a tune icon,

36
00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:10,560
circles and lines that represent setting sliders. Predictably, you'll be able to click on it,

37
00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,560
and it'll still give you information about the site's security certificate, as well as

38
00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,120
privacy and cookie settings, specifically for that site. Google believes that this will both

39
00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,920
encourage users to click and find out more about the site they're on, as well as stop them from

40
00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:28,400
automatically thinking the site is above board, lest you become the person that falls for the

41
00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:33,200
digital equivalent of one of those car warranty phone calls. It happens to the best of us.

42
00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,720
So thanks for watching, guys. If you liked this video, hit like, hit subscribe, and hit us up in

43
00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,480
the comments section with your ideas for topics that we should cover in the future.