Why You Should Consider SSL for Your Website

Why You Should Consider SSL for Your Website

Why You Should Consider SSL for Your Website

These days we all tend to do more and more of our business online. Whether it involves shopping for goods or services, getting a restaurant recommendation, or staying connected with our friends and communities the tendency is for all of these activities to take place via the web. As you go about your online life, you may have noticed an increase in sites labeled as HTTPS as opposed to simply HTTP. So what is the difference between the two and is it something you should consider for your website?

The “s” at the end of “HTTP” simply means that the website has been secured using the SSL 2048-bit key, (Hypertext Transport Protocol Security). The SSL certificate on your web server activates a padlock program that maintains a secure connection between your web server and the end users browser. There are three different layers to this security:

  • Encryption-this ensures that your activity cannot be tracked nor can your information be stolen. Unprotected communications can trick you into giving up sensitive information or installing malware.
  • Data Integrity-Data cannot be modified or corrupted during transfer without being detected. Intrusions can occur at many different places in the data transfer process including the end users machine, a Wi-Fi hotspot, or a compromised ISP to name just a few.
  • Authentication-This helps give your users confidence that they are talking to the intended website and helps prevent third party intrusions. For example, some third-party companies can get into unsecured sites and insert ads that detract from the customer experience or create other security vulnerabilities.

HTTP Needs More Protection

Older HTTP-only sites do not have these added levels of protection and can be vulnerable. Recent industry surveys indicate that less than 1% of all websites have converted to the newer HTTPS model, the rest are vulnerable to the issues discussed above. In addition to these problems, HTTPS is the future of the web so you might as well get started early on the conversion process. Many of the powerful new web platforms feature; picture taking, audio, and video recording or building progressive web apps require explicit permission from the user before executing. Many older API’s are also being updated to require permission to execute. HTTPS is a fundamental component of permission workflows for these new and updated features. A survey by Globalsigns indicated that 84% of users would abandon a search if they knew it was over an unsecured connection. Another strong reason to switch to HTTPS.

HTTPS Helps With SEO

Furthermore, Google is prioritizing HTTPS sites with regard to search results and this, of course, has an impact on where your business appears in search ranking results. Google has been encouraging webmasters to make the switch for a while now, and recent data shows that 40% of Google’s page one organic search results feature a site with HTTPS. Better SEO rankings, in turn, result in increased traffic to your website and potentially higher sales. So why not add an extra layer of security to your website as well as making your current and potential customers feel safe? Contact the experts at Cloud Talk and let us help you create a more robust and secure environment online!

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