Cyber attacks such as Petya, Locky and Wannacry have given a tough time to many website owners in the recent past. Since then, much has been said about the cruciality of having measures in place to ensure optimum digital security, and now, much is also being done to arrest this problem.
Browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox have been trying to ensure that their users are protected against harmful sites for some time now by introducing different methods. Google had called for “HTTPS everywhere” and had even started preferring sites secured by SSL certificates in SEO rankings. Starting from July 2018, Google Chrome 68 will let users know whether the site they’re visiting is not encrypting traffic from the ‘Not Secure’ message in the URL, as shown below:
If visitors see the ‘Not Secure’ warning, they are more likely to refrain from entering any information on your website such as filling an enquiry form, making a purchase off your SuperSite, or even subscribing to your mailing list.
As part of its upcoming plans i.e., the launch of Google Chrome 69, Google will also stop marking HTTPS websites as ‘Secure’ since it wants to normalize the fact that “users should expect that the web is safe by default.” As a result, the green coloured ‘Secure’ label which is currently displayed in the address bars of secured websites will be replaced by a grey coloured lock icon. Reportedly, this Chrome version will be made available in September 2018.
The Chrome team is also believed to go a step further by October 2018 wherein the grey coloured ‘Not Secure’ warning will be flashed in red as soon as one starts typing in data on HTTP pages.
Doesn’t seem like a pretty sight, does it?
The only way to avert this situation is to install an SSL certificate on the domain name. Post that your site will load over HTTPS and the browser will show “Secure” in the address bar. As per Google Chrome, any certificate issued by a recognized Certificate Issuing Authority can be used to achieve this. This includes free as well as paid certificates.
Why is encryption important?
- Authenticity: An HTTPS-enabled website will always boost your website’s credibility and gain your visitors’ trust by assuring your customers that they are talking to your servers and not to a fraudster.
- Accessibility: Once Google implements this change on Chrome, there are high chances of your customers being unable to find your website in case it does not have a secured URL.
- Data Integrity: Keeps bad actors from modifying the communication between your customers’ computers and your servers, or even injecting unwanted content into blog posts.
- Data Encryption: Keeps the data exchanged between you and your customers private so that the same bad actors cannot develop a profile about you or your customers.
- SEO Benefits: In order to encourage the implementation of HTTPS-compliant websites, Google has started to slightly boost the SEO rankings of websites that use an SSL certificate.
What should you do?
From a customer point of view, it makes a notable difference when they’re assured of the fact that they are dealing with a legitimate service provider who takes matters of digital security seriously. In order to help your customers continue to have this faith in you, we are offering a free basic SSL certificate to our partners. By enabling SSL, your website will be given the HTTPS label, thus giving your visitors the confidence that their security is a matter of priority for you. If you are a LogicBoxes partner, watch your inbox for more details explaining how to enable your free SSL certificate.
We’d like to recommend that this free basic SSL be used by those who own and operate generic websites, and not commercial, enterprise websites. Owners of non-commercial and non-enterprise websites can purchase SSL certificates from LogicBoxes at industry-best price points. Our SSL certificates are user-friendly, ensure ease of management, give users complete control, and also come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The brighter side
This situation makes for a lucrative opportunity for Web Hosting and Domain Name resellers to push SSL certificates as a product. Offering SSL certificates will ensure that your product portfolio is as wholesome as a multi-course meal.
Precisely, security is and should always be a top priority, and with Google’s latest mandate, encryption of websites is soon going to be inevitable. There sure will come a time when customers will choose to make do with the free basic SSL certificates, but until that happens, make hay while the sun shines!
