14 DAY TRIAL // HSTS, or the HTTP Strict Transport Security protocol is now labeled as a proposed standard by IETF, the Internet Engineering Task Force. What this means is that it's now on its way to becoming a standard and that it's only a matter of time before it is ratified.
HSTS isn't necessarily a new protocol, it's just a way of ensuring that browsers always use encrypted HTTPS connections for the websites that require them.
HSTS tells the browser to only allow encrypted connections to a domain and its subdomains, in all circumstances. This should ensure that sensitive data is not carried over HTTP so it can't be intercepted, at least not as easily.
The technology is already supported by Chrome, Firefox and Opera and is already used by several sites, including PayPal and Blogspot.