Major changes are on the horizon for how the Chrome browser handles digital certificates, impacting website security and how connections are validated. This upcoming shift involves Chrome moving towards managing its own list of trusted root certificates, a significant departure from relying solely on the operating system’s trust store.
Currently, Chrome, like many other applications, often relies on the operating system (like Windows, macOS, Linux) to determine which Certificate Authorities (CAs) are trusted. These CAs issue the digital certificates that verify the identity of websites and enable secure connections, such as those using HTTPS. The operating system maintains a list of trusted root certificates from approved CAs.
The planned change will see Chrome progressively implement its own Chrome Root Store. This means Chrome will increasingly check its own curated list of trusted CAs when validating website certificates, rather than exclusively using the list provided by the operating system.
This initiative aims to enhance security and consistency across different platforms. By managing its own trust store, Chrome can potentially react faster to security incidents involving CAs, implement stricter requirements for inclusion in the trust store, and ensure a more uniform security experience for users regardless of their underlying operating system or its update cycle.
For website administrators and organizations, this change underscores the importance of obtaining digital certificates from reputable and well-managed Certificate Authorities. Certificates issued by CAs that meet Chrome’s stringent requirements will continue to be trusted. However, certificates from CAs that do not comply with these standards, or are not included in the new Chrome Root Store, could potentially lead to security warnings or errors for users browsing with Chrome.
The transition is expected to be gradual, allowing time for CAs and website operators to adapt. However, understanding these changes is crucial for maintaining secure and uninterrupted website access for users relying on the Chrome browser. This move represents a step towards browsers taking more direct control over the security foundations of the web, specifically concerning the validation of digital identities and the establishment of trusted connections.
Source: http://security.googleblog.com/2025/05/sustaining-digital-certificate-security-chrome-root-store-changes.html
