Importance Of Securing Your Website
Importance of Securing Your Website
Your website is a representation of your company and your brand. It often is the first encounter clients have with your business and it will likely become a critical liaison between the two. Ensuring that this connection is safe and secure for all users of your site is critical to the success and integrity of your website.
What Is SSL?
Secure Socket Layering, SSL, is the standard security technology used for establishing encrypted links between a web server and browser, ensuring that all data passed between the two remains private. SSL provides customers with the peace of mind that their information will remain secure during online transactions of any nature; it also provides your business with built-in protection.
The most obvious marker of a secured website is the URL. Secure websites begin with https ://, whereas non-secure URL’s begin with http (without the “s”). A secure website will also show a green lock symbol next to the domain name.
Why Secure Your Website?
SSL is a security protocol that guarantees secure transmission of sensitive information. Skilled hackers continually target unsecured sites in order to take information passed over the Internet. When successful, both the client and the integrity of your business are damaged. SSL makes all data passing between you and your clients more secure by changing content from plain to encrypted text.
SSL also allows you to immediately build trust with any visitor to your site by providing reassurance that your business has taken steps to ensure the protection of their personal information.
SSL And Google
SSL is crucial for the protection of clients and site owners alike, it now will also affect Google ranking and results. Google recently announced on their Security Blog that unsecured websites will be flagged with a security error on the Google Chrome browser. Starting January 2017, Chrome will clearly label sites that are not secure, particularly sites with password or credit card form fields. Google has found that users often miss warnings on non-secure websites; their plan to label these sites comes from a desire to help users browse the web safely and securely, from their own site to those that they rank.
As part of their ongoing effort of maintaining security, Google has already implemented a search engine standard in which SSL is used as a ranking signal. HTTPS not only increases the security of your site, it can also boost search engine ranking. If your website is not yet secure, take the initiative to protect both your clients and yourself, and consequently improve your position in search engine results.
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