HTTPS is a protocol that provides secure Internet transactions between web browsers and web sites. You can check to see if the web page you are visiting uses HTTPS by making sure that the URL at the top of your browser begins with HTTPS rather than HTTP. The “S” stands for secure. Some browsers also indicate that you are using a secure connection by displaying a closed lock in the corner of the browser.
HTTPS protects users from certain kinds of Internet surveillance. By encrypting your connection, HTTPS prevents eavesdroppers from seeing the contents of your communication with a website, including potentially sensitive data such as the contents of your email and chats, login credentials, search terms, and credit card numbers. Many sites support the use of HTTPS, but may not turn it on by default. Other sites have failed to implement HTTPS at all. Learn more about HTTPS here.
There are a bunch of Firefox addons, like HTTPS Everywhere, that will enable HTTPS encryption automatically on websites that supported. However, starting with version 76.0, Firefox comes with a hidden built-in setting known as HTTPS Only Mode which does the exact same thing. Let’s see how to enable the setting….
ALSO READ HOW TO: Turn On Automatic HTTPS Upgrade in Safari for iOS
1. Open Firefox and, in the address bar, type about:config
2. Click on Accept the Risk and Continue
3. In the search field type dom.security.https_only_mode.
4. By default, the preference value is set to false. Double click on it to set it to true
5. Restart your browser and you’re all set. Now, when you visit websites that also supports the secure HTTPS protocol, Firefox will force the upgrade. However, if a website still uses the unsecure HTTP protocol you’ll get an error.
