In response to what Google calls “over trust” in the web address lock icon to indicate that a site is authentic and its’ communications are secure, they’ve swapped the lock out in an attempt to engage Chrome users in thinking about their own secure browsing.
You may have not noticed it if you’ve updated to Google Chrome version 120, but the long-familiar lock icon is no longer. The lock was originally intended on indicating that it was safe for web users to trust that the site they were visiting was, indeed, the intended site.
But with the fast past of web consumption by both mobile and desktop users, the icon has become an afterthought, with users assuming a site was safe to browse, or even over trusting the lock’s power of indicating it’s safe to browse.
Originally, Google had stated back in May they were changing out the lock for the new “Tune” icon, but some of the implementation of this new feature has apparently delayed the release until version 120 of the Chrome browser for some operating systems.
The Tune icon is intended to represent a neutral security position, encouraging users to engage in the security of their device with specific settings available for each website, as shown in the example below:
Source: SSL2Buy
The purpose of the tune icon is long overdue; any tech that puts the user overly at ease when interacting with email or the web inherently creates some risk for the user and the organization they work for.
With cybercriminals looking to create an illusion of credibility at every step of an attack, it’s necessary for users themselves to be a part of their own (and, collectively, the organization’s) security – something taught via new school security awareness training.
