| Version | 2013.3.7 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Electronic Frontier Foundation |
| Release date | Mar 13, 2013 |
| Date added | Mar 13, 2013 |
| Os requirements | Windows Vista, Windows, Windows 2000, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP |
| Requirements | None |
| Total downloads | 6 851 |
| Downloads per week | 2 |
| Price | Free |
Description
Encrypt the Web! Automatically use HTTPS security on many sites.
This is an port of the popular HTTPS Everywhere extension for Firefox, created by EFF and the Tor Project. It automatically switches thousands of sites from insecure "http" to secure "https". It will protect you against many forms of surveillance and account hijacking, and some forms of censorship.
Important Note
if HTTPS Everywhere causes a site to look weird or break, you can disable it for that site using the button in the address bar in the top right of your screen. HTTPS Everywhere for Chrome is currently in alpha, and a few such issues are inevitable due to bugs in websites' HTTPS support. Also watch for a "shield" button in the address bar, which means that Chrome blocked insecure portions of the page. Sometimes pages will look weird with their insecure portions removed. Clicking on the shield will let you load them, but will reduce your security and privacy.
Review
A plug-in alpha port based on a Firefox plugin, HTTPS Everywhere for Chrome works silently in the background, forcing HTTPS compliant Web sites to exclusively operate in this secure mode instead of inadvertently switching to HTTP operation. It's a handy piece of software to have, but it's not yet as good as its Firefox counterpart.
Pros
Automatic operation: HTTPS Everywhere for Chrome requires hardly any actions on your part except for selecting the sites to be included in HTTPS Everywhere activity, although this is not something you have to do often. For sites where content cannot be loaded properly, you can quickly deactivate the plug-in with a single click from the browser address bar.
Cons
No ruleset functionality: HTTPS Everywhere for Firefox includes the useful ruleset function that is absent in this Chrome version. The manual function available from the main plug-in menu does not provide you with the same customization or the ability to reach sub-domains.
Not relevant to non-HTTPS compliant sites: We found the plug-in useless for sites that do not use HTTPS at all, which is without question the plug-in's inherent vulnerability. VPN or other measures will be required if you want to stay safe.
Bottom Line
HTTPS Everywhere for Chrome does increase your browsing security, but at this alpha stage, it lacks the features and maturity of its Firefox brother. Nevertheless, it remains a good download if you use Chrome with a wide range of sites. Also, keep an eye out for new releases -- we see a lot of potential for coming versions.
