What is preload in strict transport security?

What is preload in strict transport security?

What is HSTS Preloading. HSTS Preloading is a mechanism whereby a list of hosts that wish to enforce the use of SSL/TLS on their site is built into a browser.

What is HSTS and what type of mechanism does it provide?

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is a web security policy mechanism that enables web sites to declare themselves accessible only via secure connections. This helps protect websites and users from protocol downgrade and cookie hijacking attacks.

Are there any downsides in using HSTS?

The Downsides One of the main issues of HSTS is that it is a trust on first use policy. There’s nothing to stop the hacker removing that HSTS Header so to avoid this you need to have visited the real website first, so the browser has loaded the HSTS policy into it’s settings, and uses that going forward.

How do I check my HSTS preload list?

If you own a site that you would like to see included in the preloaded HSTS list you can submit it at https://hstspreload.org. You can see the current HSTS Rules — both dynamic (set by a response header) and static (preloaded) using a tool on the about://net-internals#hsts page. Check the source for the full list.

What does http Strict Transport Security ( HSTs ) mean?

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), specified in RFC 6797, allows a website to declare itself as a secure host and to inform browsers that it should be contacted only through HTTPS connections.

When did Strict Transport Security become a standard?

Strict Transport Security was proposed in 2009, motivated by Moxie Marlinspike’s demonstration of how a hostile network could downgrade visitor connections and exploit insecure redirects. It was quickly adopted by several major web browsers, and finalized as RFC 6797 in 2012.

What are the benefits of Strict Transport Security?

Strict Transport Security provides meaningful security benefits to visitors, especially visitors on hostile networks. However, it’s also highly valuable as an organizational forcing function and compliance mechanism.

When does the HSTS Preload list become unnecessary?

In the long term, as the web transitions fully to HTTPS and browsers can start phasing out plain HTTP and defaulting to HTTPS, the HSTS preload list (and HSTS itself) may eventually become unnecessary. Until that time, the HSTS preload list is a simple, effective mechanism for locking down HTTPS for an entire domain.