One of our favorite VPN solutions from ExpressVPN just announced awesome update into their browser add-on VPN. It now supports HTTPS Everywhere feature which is basically forcing HTTPS version of any site or link (in case it exists) to make your browsing experience even more secured.
What is HTTPS (Everywhere)
HTTPS Everywhere is a popular plugin developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation in cooperation with The Tor Project. It is available for all major browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera) completely for free.
The main benefit of HTTPS Everywhere technology is forcing HTTPS version of site or link. Even if you click on a link in a format ‘http://website.com', the plugin will change it to ‘https://website.com' before you actually click on it.
Using HTTPS is very important because it protects communication between the web server and the client, so nobody is able to ‘see' it. Not even your ISP or VPN vendor. Also, it verifies the identity of the organization/individual behind the website.
Unfortunately, it can't solve a situation when the web server doesn't have the HTTPS (e.g. SSL certificate). Today, approximately only one-third of all websites are having the HTTPS version as default. This should change in July 2018 when Google Chrome will start displaying a non-secure note next to the HTTP site URL in the address bar.
HTTPS vs. VPN
HTTPS encrypts your communication between the website and your browser, while VPN is encrypting your whole browsing session or computer traffic (in case of desktop VPNs). So both approaches are very complementary and it's a great idea to use both at the same time.
ExpressVPN Chrome Extension
ExpressVPN basically implemented HTTPS Everywhere extension into their browser VPN add-on. So you no longer need two separate extensions installed. It is enabled by default, but if for some reason you want to turn it off you can do so via extension settings.
To use ExpressVPN Chrome extension you need a valid subscription which starts at $12.95 monthly. Without the valid subscription, the add-on won't work.
In case you are looking for a free browser VPN make sure to check out our list of the best free VPNs for Chrome.
