YOUR CONNECTION TO THIS WEBSITE IS NOT PRIVATE.
These are not comforting words to website visitors, but that’s what they are beginning to see with Google Chrome’s most recent update. What does this mean for those of us that have websites? It means that it may be time to consider adding an SSL certificate to your website (if you haven’t already).
What exactly is SSL?
In simple terms, it’s the difference between http:///www.yourbasicwebsite.com and https://www.yoursecurewebsite.com. SSL (secure socket layer) certificates encrypt the communication between your computer and a website, so no one can intercept your data.
SSL protects your website and validates your online reputation. Encrypted websites also load significantly faster. We love this tool that visualizes just how quickly HTTPS websites load: www.httpvshttps.com.
Why the shift?
Google simply wants the results that show up through their search engine to be secure.
SSL certificates were once the standard only for those wishing to take online payments or collect personal information from site visitors.
Google is now upgrading that standard.
Google wants ALL web traffic to be secure and with their most recent Google Chrome update it is becoming even more obvious to site visitors when a website is not secure.
What does this mean for unsecure websites?
Google Chrome now explicitly tells users that non-HTTPS sites aren’t private, along with full details as to why that’s the case. If a Chrome user visits a site that’s not private (there’s no HTTPS, broken HTTPS, or HTTPS only on ‘checkout’ pages), Chrome now displays a grey colored info circle.
It also means that unsecure websites will be bumped down in search results by those who are secure. While Google Chrome is taking the lead in making this shift towards website encryption, we fully expect other web browsers to follow this trend.
Yes, SSL is great for maintaining the security of personal information and financial transactions, but it is also a wonderful tool for verifying your website’s identity. Wouldn’t you like for your website visitors to always know that they are visiting YOUR website and not a fake or spoof of your company?
