Requesting more info on using Secureline VPN

I joined yesterday and have a few questions:

  1. In Chrome (Windows 7 64bit) if I have the setting on “ask before turning on” The browser bar starts with “Secure l” followed by the website I am going to. If I have the setting on “turn on automatically” the "“Secure” heading does not happen. When I see the “Secure” addition I feel more confident that the VPN is working. Does this make any difference? Edit: Okay. I solved this one.
  2. In a related question, sometimes if I am reading an email and there is a link, and I click it, the new window does not have the “Secure” heading. Are internal links also protected by the VPN?
  3. This morning an Avast popup came up after I had been online for awhile, saying something like, “VPN” is connected. Does this mean that sometimes the VPN stops working and comes on again? Does that mean that while I am on a site, if the VPN line disconnects, the info becomes visible?
  4. Sometimes I am working on something and leave a site up for several days. Is this a bad idea when using a VPN line?
    Thanks!