Have you noticed a change in the Google Chrome search results? If not, try entering some search terms and see what turns up. You won’t see any sites that start with HTTP.
Here’s the gist of that change, as reported from Strategy Media:
“Google, the search engine giant, is officially marking ALL websites who don’t use “HTTPS” for their website domain as “not secure.” In 2017, Google announced this update was coming. While the October update initially affected some websites, the latest Chrome update will have a much larger impact on the world wide web.”
Say you were searching for a new supplier for your clothing boutique and one of the sites displayed a Google warning that the site was “not secure”?
The notification also has a warning not to share sensitive personal or financial information, like passwords or credit card details. You wouldn’t think twice about finding another supplier.
Do you have one of those sites? Your domain name should start with https://knd.com.au. And, you should see a green lock next to your URL. If not, you need an SSL certificate.
Some hosting companies still charge for these, but they should be free if your site is on a cPanel server. They are very popular. Contact your web developer or hosting provider and secure your website ASAP. It’s losing you business.
Basically, it encrypts website data in transit. Any information you enter into a website is sent to a database for storage. SSL encrypts the information and stops hackers from snatching it before it gets there.
Getting an SSL Certificate for your website is a game changer.
1) It stops many types of hacks. You’ll still need to establish other security measures to lock down your site files, but it will ensure your customer’s data is safe while it’s flying around the Internet.
2) Consumer trust. With warnings like the ones Google is enforcing, nobody will trust your site to securely look after their data. The S and the green lock are becoming synonymous with quality websites.
3) Better search rankings. Google is reinforcing the big, bad warning signs with search penalties. They will always rank SSL sites above non-SSL, which may exclude you from the Top 10. Or Top 30.
As it turns out, KND offers free SSL on all our hosting packages. ; ) It’s quick to set up, and we will also ensure you have all the other critical security measures are in place. We are local – no call centres. And, we will tailor a hosting package to suit your business.