There are two different kinds of websites: secure (HTTPS) and non-secure (HTTP). A secure website means data traveling from you, the website visitor, to the destination server will be encrypted.
SSL Certificates (Secure Socket Layers) is the standard protocol for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This encryption converts data into a code making it unreadable to everyone except for the server where you are sending your information.
A non-secure (HTTP) website means your data will travel to the destination server with your credit card numbers, username, password, and any other sensitive information you are sending, readable and unencrypted to hackers.
Web browsers (like Google Chrome) tell us when a website is secure with the “HTTPS” designation in the URL bar and the padlock icon that accompanies it. The padlock ensures customers they can feel safe using the site. It tells them that no one will see their private information except their intended recipient.
But HTTPS doesn’t just protect user data, it also ensures that the user is really connecting to the right site and not an imposter one. This is important because setting up a fake version of a website users normally trust is a favorite tactic of hackers and malicious actors. HTTPS also ensures that a malicious third party can’t hijack the connection and insert malware or censor information.
Don’t have an SSL Certificate? Google is going to flag your website this year!
Although secure websites are designated with the padlock icon, not much attention has been drawn to the websites that are non-secure. But that’s about to change. To help users browse the web safely, Google has announced the Chrome browser will soon flag unencrypted websites as non-secure in the URL bar. This will alert people that a website is not trustworthy, and draw more attention to sites that are non-secure.
So what does this mean for your business?
It means that if you haven’t already, you need to obtain an SSL Certificate for your website. Your customers want the peace of mind that the information they send you won’t be compromised. A client won’t send information on a website that has been flagged as not secure when they can instead use a competitor’s website that is secure. The SSL Certificate guards your website against cybercriminals hacking the information your clients have trusted you with. If you want a trusted brand, you should have a trusted website.
LP Creative makes this easy for you. By using our hosting services, we will provide you with a Free SSL certificate. Trust your hosting to us and your site will become secure and trusted by your clients. Secure your website now, before Google flags it. Contact LP Creative today to learn how.
Also be sure to read: What is Domain Privacy and Do You Really Need it?