Avoid Being a ‘Not Secure’ Site
Posted on April 19, 2018 by Dominika
Google has released a statement saying “Beginning in July 2018 with the release of Chrome 68, Chrome will mark all HTTP sites as ‘not secure'”.
So what can you expect if your website does not have an SSL Certificate?
Google will display a ‘Not Secure’ message marked with a red triangle next to your URL. This message will inform all the users that they shouldn’t enter any sensitive information onto this site as the information they enter will not be encrypted.
What is an SSL Certificate, who needs one and what steps does your business need to take now? Let’s take a closer look at these:
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. In other words, an SSL is the security technology that keeps the connection between the web server and browser secure.
Who needs an SSL Certificate?
Some people might think that an SSL Certificate is only needed if you have an e-commerce store. This is not true.
ANY website with ANY kind of text input needs one. Whether it’s a contact form, search bar, login panel, etc. The SSL provides security, integrity and privacy for both your website and your user’s information.
What are the reasons your businesses should have an SSL Certificate?
Not to mention the big red ‘Not Secure’ message won’t look good on your website and will probably put your potential customers off. Let’s be honest, would you enter any of your personal details on the website if you saw a message ‘Not Secure’? The answer is probably no. Not having an SSL Certificate can cost your business a lot.
Encryption of the information
As we mentioned earlier, an SSL keeps the information (e.g. username and password) encrypted whilst it travels between the server and the browser. This way the information you enter onto the site becomes unreadable to anyone else during this journey – apart from the server you’re sending it to.
Improved SEO
A couple of years ago, Google announced that websites which have an SSL Certificate perform better in Google rankings. When it comes to SEO, we believe every little helps so it’s definitely worth having one on your site.
Building trust
When you have an SSL and customer enters your site, a little green padlock with a ‘Secure’ message shows up next to your URL. The padlock represents a secure connection to the site meaning that the information the customer enters is private. This helps to make your business look trustworthy and reliable in the eyes of your customers.
Protect your business from attackers
We hear a lot about cyber attacks. Without having an SSL Certificate, it is almost impossible to escape these attacks. If your website does not have an SSL, your visitors’ information can be easily attacked as it travels between the server and the browser. This way you put your customers as well as your business at risk.
What action does your business need to take?
There’s only a couple of months left before the release of Google Chrome version 68. You really need to take action now and get yourself an SSL certificate, otherwise, your businesses will be one of those obviously ‘Not Secure’ sites to use.
