How to add trusted websites in a browser
Modern browsers are excellent and feature-rich. Of their many features, they have built-in protection that prevents users from accessing an unsafe or potentially dangerous website. The checks are based on the settings of the server a website is hosted on, among other things.
Trusted websites in browsers
Browsers normally do not get false positives when they flag a website as dangerous or as a possible security risk. Usually, there is something wrong e.g., an expired security certificate that raises a red flag. That said, if you trust a website and want to access it without a browser blocking you, you can add the website as a trusted website.
Add trusted websites in Chrome
To add a trusted website in Chrome, you need to whitelist it in Chrome, and as an extra step, whitelist it on Windows 10. To add a trusted website in Chrome, follow these steps.
- Open Chrome.
- Visit the website that Chrome is blocking.
- Copy the website URL.
- Click the more options button at the top right and select Settings.
- Select Privacy and security from the column on the left.
- Select Site Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Insecure content.
- Click the Add button under Allowed to show insecure content.
- Enter the domain for the website.
- Click Add.
Add trusted site in Edge and Internet Explorer
To add a trusted site in Edge, Internet Explorer, and to whitelist the website on Windows 10, follow these steps.
- Open Control Panel.
- Go to Network and internet.
- Click Internet options.
- Go to the Security tab.
- Click Trusted sites.
- Click the Sites button.
- Enter the URL for the website.
- Click Add.
Add trusted website in Firefox
To add a trusted website in Firefox, follow these steps.
- Open Firefox.
- Visit the website you want to add as a trusted website.
- Click the shield icon in the URL bar.
- Turn the ‘Enhanced tracking protection’ switch Off.
A word of caution
While it is possible to access a website that Chrome is blocking, you should be cautious. The website’s contents may have changed making it a threat. Be absolutely sure that the website is safe before you choose to bypass Chrome’s security. Access the website in a sandboxed environment e.g. a virtual machine if you can to test if it’s safe.
Conclusion
Websites that are not secure can infect your system. If they aren’t malicious themselves, they can be hijacked if their security isn’t up to date. An unsecure website can also leak data e.g., login information. Practice caution when you choose to allow your browser to load an untrusted website.
