Breaches of internet security are regular news features these days and pose an ever increasing threat for us all both personally and in business.
Your website’s security
The majority of websites use HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) which is the protocol over which information is sent from a user’s web browser to the website they are visiting. Currently this is sent in plain text meaning that if the connection is intercepted, a third party could see the information you were both viewing and sending on the website. This is particularly risky for any sites handling sensitive information such as passwords or credit card information.
What has changed?
‘HTTPS’ (standing for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a more secure way of transferring information than the normal HTTP as it ensures information is encrypted using a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). HTTPS sites have the added benefit of faster speeds and connections.
How will this affect my site?
Google is starting to give preference to these secure sites. It is predicted that the number of sites on page 1 of Google using HTTPS will be 50% in a few months from now.
How will my customers know my site is more secure?
In time, sites which are labeled as HTTP will be marked as being non-secure, with a red warning triangle, as the connection will not be encrypted leaving users feeling they are more at risk. HTTPS sites however will display a padlock to identify a secure connection (take a look at Amazon or Ebay).
What action should I take?
It’s important to consider HTTPS for your site’s enhanced security, especially if your site involves sensitive information, and we would strongly recommend doing this by asking your hosting company to install a SSL certificate.