Tokyo Denki University, Japan.

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Abstract—Web pages that contain both content that are served over HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and content that are served over HTTPS are called mixed content pages. Such pages are susceptible to eavesdropping and modification by third parties owing to the unsecured HTTP communication. Consequently, various countermeasures have been implemented in modern Web browsers with the aim of protecting users from such risks. However, the implemented measures have proven inadequate. In this study, we designed and implemented a tool that enables safe browsing by ensuring that users take action when mixed content pages are encountered. The tool provides five functions that can be applied along with a browser’s native countermeasure to notify users of mixed content. The results of experiments conducted to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of our tool showed that it made most users aware when they encountered mixed display (passive) content. Thus, our tool effectively informs and protects users from mixed content risks.

Index Terms—Mixed content, safe browsing, awareness tool.

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Cite: Yoshio Kakizaki, Shiomi Nishibiro, Ryoichi Sasaki, "A Mixed Content Awareness Tool for Safe Browsing," Journal of Computers vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 90-99 , 2018.