"Not Secure" alert in your browser

You may have noticed one or more of these in your browser's address bar, or while logging in:

Firefox alert (when logging in):




Firefox address bar (padlock with red line thru):


Chrome address bar (Not secure information note):



In 2016, Google decided to accelerate the transition to a more secure web by imposing the HTTPS standard ("s" for "secure"). You can recognize a secure site by the use of HTTPS in the URL along with a padlock icon.

This is a good thing for Internet users but is really complex to set up technically on big services like our host, Forumotion.

In January 2017, Google Chrome browser (version 56) started displaying a security alert on HTTP pages including the "Password" field. This is a discrete indication with a "Not secure" message that appears in the address bar. Mozilla Firefox update 51 includes HTTPS verification as well, and displays a similar alert.

In our forums this occurs the Login page. Don't worry, this does not mean that the forum is not secure. It's simply a result of the new standards imposed by the use of a secure connection protocol between the web server that hosts our forum and your web browser.

Here's the kicker. In order to add HTTPS to our forum and remove the "not secure" notice, Forumotion will offer an option for the installation and configuration of an SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate. Of course this is a chargable item which I do not really want to pay for.

There is no obligation to adopt this new protocol, it simply gives an extra measure of comfort and conforms to new standards on the web. I think the best solution for us, if the membership is in agreement, is to continue as we are. It's a bit of a nuisance but I think we can just ignore it.