Several studies have brought to light a disconcerting finding: Most Internet users do not fully understand the symbols and icons on their web browsers.. That’s why Google proposed a change, but do we still misunderstand it?
The article, titled: “Does the current browser application design really make sense for its users?”, sheds a critical light on how we interact with the web. In a world where cybersecurity is key: we don’t understand icons. It’s like driving at full speed on the highway without knowing how to read the signs.
Visually, let’s think about the lock icon, that began to be changed by a kind of tuner by Google in mid-September, precisely to avoid confusion, but it is not yet available on many devices.
According to the study, a surprising 69% of the 528 participants admitted to not fully understanding the meaning of the lock icon in their browsers, a symbol commonly mistakenly associated with online security.
For many, it was simply a sign of peace, but its true function —securing data transmission between the server and the browser—remained a mystery to most.
“The connection is secure”is a confusing message because it is a term related to network protocol and not online security.
The new Google Chrome icon, an aid against cybercriminals
It’s not the only study to question this, in a large-scale online survey with 1,880 participants, the Google Inc. team found that an overwhelming 89% of users had misconceptions about the meaning of the padlock.
It was perceived by many as a guarantee of overall website security, not just an indicator of connection security, which is its real purpose. Will this change with the new symbol? It is likely that just the absence of the padlock already triggers a more cautious look, a trend that Google underlines.
Scams like phishing take advantage of Google’s lock
Actually, the SSL lock/tuner icons signal that the browser is using a encrypted communication protocol to connect to the server of the website being accessed, but they are cheap.
This security is reinforced by the presence of the term HTTPS in the address bar, which indicates that data transmission between the browser and the server is carried out in an encrypted and protected manner.
In this sense, the padlock It’s a holdover from an era when HTTPS was uncommon. The reality is that today, almost all websites use it and, therefore, almost all of them would have this icon.
And now it’s an increasingly common tactic in phishing scams: a user enters an online shopping site and sees the padlock in the address bar. It mistakenly interprets this as a sign that the site is completely safe and trustworthy. Cybercriminals know it builds trust.
Chrome Design Matters for Cybersecurity
Be that as it may, both investigations They call into question the effectiveness of the current design of browser applications: a disconnect between design intentions and user perception, suggesting the need for a more user-centric approach in browser design.
As we move towards an increasingly digitalized future, clarity and understanding in human-browser interaction becomes not only desirable, but essential, The Google Chrome lock is gone, but do we understand the rest of the icons?
