What Is HTTPS
PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 27, 2017 – ARTICLES: WHAT IS HTTPS
HTTPS means the website you are visiting is secure. You must have seen this in action. Look at the address bar in the browser at the top and see the lock icon on the left-hand side of the page. Is the lock closed? Then the connection is secure. Is it open or is there another type of icon or message? Then it’s not secure and vulnerable to attack.
Using a site over a non-secure connection means hackers/criminals could intercept the data you send to the site. This could mean that your password and email address could be stolen by criminals. HTTPS now also plays a vital role in SEO and does effect rankings. That's why Easysite is now HTTPS - Your email addresses and passwords are safe when using our site.
HTTP vs HTTPS
Lets see why HTTPS is better than HTTP and why websites using HTTPS are safer than websites that don't use HTTPS.
When you visit a website, or type in a URL in the search bar, the web browser you are using asks the site for its IP address. Something like 123.456.7.89. This is the address a site gets online. The web browser connects to this number and displays the website on the computer. This is all done in plain sight and there is no encryption to be seen, so everyone can intercept this traffic.
If you happen to log in to a website and give details to a site that has a HTTP connection your details could be stolen as the details are not secure. If you are giving bank details or purchasing products make sure the website connection is HTTPS. This will ensure your details are safe and cannot be stolen.
Having a HTTPS connection secures this process. HTTPS encrypts the connection between the browser and the site. This means that no one can intercept the data sent. If you want to secure your site you will need a SSL certificate. The browser checks the certificate of the site and verifies its legitimacy with the company that issued it.
You can see who issued the certificate click on the lock icon. By using HTTPS, your site is not only secure, all your login procedures and personal data and anything you do on the site is secure and safe.
Its a way to secure the web. HTTPS is now necessary, all sites should be upgraded to a new, safer and much faster internet protocol. This new technology also makes sites a lot faster to load. This means higher rankings on SERPs and faster page load times for visitors.
HTTPS For The User
Privacy on the web is important. Websites need to be secure. If you own a website you need to make it secure for your users. Having a HTTPS connection will secure your site and give your visitors piece of mind if they filling in their details or making a payment using their banking details.
HTTPS is a must in today's world. Some visitors may avoid sites that are not HTTPS secure. You could be loosing out on lots of business. An ever-increasing number of websites are making the move to HTTPS, are you?
HTTPS Improves Your SEO
SEO is important. Google has a few hundred ways it finds the best site for the query typed in to its search engine. In 2014, Google announced that HTTPS would become a ranking signal. You can score a few extra points on your SEO when you switch from HTTP to HTTPS.
As well as helping your SEO changing to HTTPS is more about gaining trust with your future visitors and customers. Its only a matter of time and we will all have to move to an all-HTTPS web. It is, therefore, incredibly important that your site makes the switch to HTTPS as soon as possible.
Browsers Show Not Secure
Lots of web browsers now show ‘not secure’ messages when your site doesn’t have an HTTPS connection. Its very easy to scare potential customers. Visitors may not make a purchase or share their email addresses on your site if your site shows the not secure message.
Even you would not risk loosing vital information on a site that was not secure. Make the change today to HTTPS its well worth it and has to be done.