Security has always been a big concern for any website owner, you want to keep your site secure and free from attackers. You also want to make sure your users are secure on your site and the information they submit is protected and transmitted in a safe manner that will allow it to stay protected and out of harm’s way. Over time, Google has been implementing more and more things that encourage website security and discourage insecure sites. One of the latest developments has now made getting an SSL and securing your website pretty much mandatory.

What is an SSL?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is the standard security technology for establishing a safe and encrypted connection between a server and a client. It allows your website to transmit information securely, whether it’s when you’re logging in to your admin panel and transmitting the username and password to the server or filling out the contact form and sending all of that information in an email. An SSL allows websites to use the HTTPS web protocol instead of just HTTP. It also gives you the secure padlock in your browser that tells users that this site is secured with an SSL and their information will be delivered securely.

Why do you need it?

As internet users, we’ve been taught to look for that padlock icon when filling in our credit card number or other sensitive information. Without it, you can’t trust that the site is secure. But now, Google just released a Chrome update where they are stepping things up a notch to make users really take notice of insecure sites. If your site isn’t secure with an SSL, it will have a “Not Secure” message in the location bar only on pages that collect passwords or credit cards. In a later release of Chrome though, ALL HTTP pages will be labeled with “Not Secure”.

If that’s not reason enough to get an SSL, Google also prioritizes HTTPS sites in search results, a change that they implemented in the last year. Other search engines and browsers will likely start following suit in future releases as security is always tightening and this is a big step in the world of website security. So even if you don’t take any sensitive information currently on your website, it’s a good idea to start looking into implementing an SSL, since the changes will be coming in the near future.

How do I implement an SSL?

It will need to be set up on your website hosting so your host can usually help with this. Some plans and servers come with a free SSL or easy installation and others have a more complex set up, so your host can help walk you through what’s needed and the costs involved with it.

We suggest you start looking into this to stay on top of website security and changing web standards. Securing your website and your information is never a bad idea, and in this case, it’s starting to become a mandatory thing for every website. We’d love to help if you have questions or need assistance with implementing an SSL, get in touch with us today!