If you've ever been alarmed by the security of a website you stumbled across, there's good news for Chrome users: Google is about to release an update that will make this leading web browser more secure and better communicate security details to users.

Google is about to release an update to make this major web browser more secure and to better inform users about security details.

Google says it is developing an HTTPS-first option for the browser, which, when enabled, will cause Chrome to automatically attempt to connect to websites using a more secure version of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), on which the web depends.

This upgrade will be available in the Chrome 94 update, currently scheduled for September 21. Initially, the HTTPS-first feature will be offered as an option, but Google has stated that based on feedback, "we will consider making HTTPS-first mode the default for all users in the future." An earlier update to Chrome this year made HTTPS connections the default.

HTTPS encrypts data through a private and public key system, and the majority of websites already use HTTPS when sending personal information, such as when logging into an account. With this new feature enabled, Chrome will first attempt a secure connection to all websites. [However, not all websites support HTTPS connections, so Google will continue to display warnings on all pages when only standard HTTP connections are available; Mozilla's competing browser, Firefox, as Google noted in a post today, launched a similar HTTPS-first feature last November.

Google's post also delves a bit deeper into interface design, including upcoming changes. In a recent survey, Google found that only 11% of users actually know what the lock icon on the left edge of the address bar means. Currently, the lock icon indicates that the connection is secure, but does not suggest that the website itself is trustworthy.

To address this misconception, Google plans to roll out an experimental feature in Chrome 93 (currently scheduled for release on August 31) that will replace the lock icon with a downward-pointing arrow. Google suggests that the icon will be more "neutral" and allow users to click on it to learn about the security of their connection or check a website's credentials and permissions.

Whether this change will be rolled out permanently remains to be seen. Still, given that Chrome is the world's most popular desktop browser, it is commendable that Google continues to upgrade and tweak its security to ensure a safer and smarter web experience. chrome 91 is a 32 security upgrade was released in May along with Chrome 92, which is scheduled to be released on July 20.