HTTPS Always VS Smart HTTPS

• Security
  HTTPS encrypts data between the user's browser and the server, protecting sensitive information from interception and ensuring privacy and data integrity.
• Improved SEO
  Search engines like Google prioritize sites that use HTTPS, potentially improving page ranking and visibility in search results.
• User Trust
  Websites with HTTPS are perceived as more trustworthy by users, who can see a secure padlock icon in the address bar, leading to increased user confidence and engagement.
• Data Integrity
  HTTPS ensures that data sent and received is not altered in transit, providing a reliable and accurate exchange of information.
• Compliance
  Many privacy regulations and standards require the use of HTTPS to protect user data, ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

Possible disadvantages

• Cost
  Implementing HTTPS can involve costs related to obtaining SSL/TLS certificates, especially for larger organizations with numerous subdomains.
• Performance Overhead
  HTTPS requires additional processing power for encryption and decryption, potentially leading to slightly reduced performance or increased server load.
• Complexity
  Setting up HTTPS can be more complex than a non-secure HTTP connection, requiring technical expertise and resources for proper implementation and management.
• Certificate Expiration
  SSL/TLS certificates have expiration dates and must be renewed regularly, which can add maintenance tasks and risks if not managed properly.
• Mixed Content Issues
  When a secure site loads insecure resources (e.g., images or scripts), it can lead to 'mixed content' warnings, potentially compromising the site's security and user trust.

• Automatic Redirection to HTTPS
  Smart HTTPS automatically changes HTTP protocol to HTTPS, which enhances the security of your browsing by ensuring that the connection is encrypted.
• Fallback to HTTP
  In cases where an HTTPS version of the site is not available, it can automatically revert back to HTTP, ensuring you can still access the website instead of facing a disruption.
• Whitelist Feature
  Allows users to maintain a whitelist of websites that should always be accessed using HTTP, providing flexibility and control over the browsing experience.
• Improved Privacy
  By automatically using HTTPS, it helps in protecting user data from eavesdroppers and enhances privacy while browsing the web.

Possible disadvantages

• Compatibility Issues
  Some websites may not function correctly over HTTPS, leading to potential misbehavior or broken features when accessed using Smart HTTPS.
• Potential for Increased Loading Times
  Sometimes, redirecting to HTTPS can result in slightly longer loading times, especially if the server's configuration is not optimal for HTTPS.
• Resource Intensive
  The addon might consume additional resources to check for HTTPS versions of every site, which could impact browser performance, especially on older systems.
• Limited Control Over Redirection
  Users might have limited ability to control which sites are redirected to HTTPS if they haven't preemptively whitelisted specific HTTP sites.

Tracking HTTPS Always since Jun 2021.

• “We don’t track you … except for when we get paid for it.”

  Smart HTTPS, site This tries to send you to https sites instead of http sites. Using http sites makes you venerable to man in the middle attacks. (dont use http on public wifis if possible). Source: over 4 years ago

• question about non secure websites

  I'd recommend using Smart HTTPS which automatically makes your site's HTTPS if it can offer it so it will reduce these situations. Here's the site where you can choose whichever browser you use. https://mybrowseraddon.com/smart-https.html. Source: over 4 years ago