Google Chrome: Google Announces New Security Update, Also Shares Upcoming New Features

The latest update for the Google Chrome web browser will finally address mixed content, which degrades the security and user experience of the HTTPS website. The tech giant, this week, announced that its Google Chrome web browser will begin blocking mixed content, starting in December 2019.

The gradual roll-out of the latest security update will start with the first phase Chrome 79, which Google plans to release in December 2019. By January 2020, the search giant will permanently remove the unblocking option that was introduced earlier to the browser.

For a starter, mixed content usually occurs when the initial HTML page is being loaded over a secure HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) connection but other resources, such as images or videos, are being loaded over an unsecured HTTP connection. An extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, HTTPS connection is used by many companies to secure communication over the computer or corporate networks.

Originally, Google Chrome already provides a feature that blocks mixed scripts and iframes. However, the latest update will introduce a new setting, which can be toggled on or off, that will allow Chrome users to unblock the mixed resources on a per-site basis. Additionally, the browser will automatically upgrade HTTP content to a more secure https connection if face with mixed content.

The update will be released in three parts: first, with Chrome 79, followed by Chrome 80 and then, finally, the Chrome 81 update. The Chrome 80 set to arrive in January 2020. It will bring HTTPS auto-upgraded feature, which upgraded the unsecured HTTP connection to more secure to HTTPS connection. But, if they fail to load over the HTTPS connection, then, the browser will automatically block the content. During the mixed content loading, the Chrome browser will display a “Not Secure” warning in the Omnibox next to the URL of the website.

The last phase and the final part of the major update, Chrome 81, will arrive in February 2020. Like the second phase, the Chrome 81 will also bring the HTTPs auto-graded feature.

According to Google Security Team, Chrome users spend more than 90 percent of their internet usage and browsing time on HTTPS connection on both desktop and mobile platforms. The company has released this latest update to address security holes in SSL implementations of websites that have already made the move to HTTPS connection.

In addition to the latest security update, the Mountain View-based company has also developed a feature that would allow Chrome users to quickly see thumbnails of opened tabs. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t mentioned anything about this feature in its recent blog post, where it discussed its planned future improvements for the Google Chrome web browser.

Meanwhile, Google also discussed and shared plans for upcoming new features and improvements for the Chrome browser. The company said that it's now working on a new feature that will make it much easier for users to send web pages to different devices.

Additionally, the tech company also working to improve the address bar to ensure much faster search results. The company will also release a number of new themes that will allow users to customize their browser. All of these new, exciting features will be released before the end of this year. For more about this latest Google Chrome update, check out Chrome's official website.