Does your site have an SSL Certificate?

If not, Google is going to flag your website this year!

We turn to the internet for everything – from selling to buying, and with this dominating trend, online security has become a necessity. Undoubtedly, Google loves its users and therefore, is coming up with every possible way to make us feel secure on the internet.

Google will flag 2/3rd of the web as unsafe, if the SSL certificate is not in place. This means it will display a ‘Not Secure’ in the URL bar.

When Do You need to Worry About SSL?

Websites with any kind of text input will need an SSL certificate. Text inputs take on the form of login panels, contact forms, search bars, etc. If your website begins with “HTTP://” you need to install SSL to avoid any risks or warnings, and if you don’t implement SSL soon, your visitors will see a “Not Secure” warning on visiting your site. If a secure connection cannot be established, that means, your company information will not be digitally connected to a cryptographic key.

Your SSL certificate is like an electronic passport.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser.

This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.

An SSL Certificate has the following information:

• Name of the holder
• Serial number and expiration date
• Copy of the certificate holder’s public key
• Digital Signature of the certificate-issuing authority

Why are SSL Certificates Critical?

Here are some of the reasons to have SSL Certificates:

1. Encrypts Sensitive Information

• The information you send on the Internet is passed from computer to computer to get to the destination server.
• Any computer in between you and the server can see your credit card numbers, usernames and passwords, and other sensitive information if it is not encrypted.
• When an SSL certificate is used, the information becomes unreadable to everyone except for the server you are sending the information to.

2. Protects You From Cybercriminals

• Hackers are clever. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybersecurity damages will cost the world over $6 trillion annually by 2021. It is impossible to escape the rising tide of cybercrime if your website doesn’t have an SSL certificate. They will identify weakness(es) in your network, which mostly happens when information is transmitted.

3. Builds Trust & Brand Power

• With SSL certificates, your customers will see visuals like lock icon and green address bar that indicates well-trusted encryption is in use. Well, if I as a customer will see that on your website, I will be assured that my information is traveling safe.

Bottom Line: Before Google flags your website, secure it today with an SSL Certificate.