Migrating HTTP to HTTPS: Secure your website now

Migrating HTTP to HTTPS: Secure your website now

Moving to a more secure web is a much-known Google initiative, which overtime will result in websites that are not using a secure (HTTPS) connection being flagged by Google Chrome in the way of a warning message, notifying all users that the website is not secure. This will appear on all pages that are capable of transmitting data to the server such as contact forms and eCommerce stores.

So what is HTTPS and how does it affect my website?

HTTPS is a secure connection between you and the server that your browser is communicating with. If your website is not currently using HTTPS then any data that is sent by a user is susceptible to being intercepted before it reaches the server and ultimately, being stolen and used illegally.

If your site is secure, you’ll see a green lock in the left corner of your browser’s location bar, followed by the website URL beginning with HTTPS. This provides your users with the following 3 layers of protection;

  • Authentication – this prevents any ‘man-in-the-middle’ attacks and will provide a guarantee that the user is communicating with the exact website and target that was intended.
  • Encryption – this provides privacy of the data by encrypting it. This will ensure that conversations between the user and the server won’t be intercepted or eavesdropped and the information stolen.
  • Data integrity – this prevents any data sent from being modified or corrupted during the transfer from user to server.

Migrating HTTP to HTTPS, why should I do it?

  • Safety and Security – your website will be a safe and secure environment for your visitors to transmit data. Everything from contact forms to eCommerce purchases will be much safer from theft.
  • Better search engine rankings – most search engines, including Google, the biggest search engine out there, use HTTPS as a ranking signal – websites with HTTPS are much more likely to rank higher than their HTTP counterparts for obvious reasons already outlined in this article.
  • Take advantage of new features – HTTPS will allow your website to make use of HTTP/2, which essentially means your website could see a huge boost in loading times if HTTP/2 is enabled.

What should I do now?

If you are aware that your website is currently a HTTP site, or you are unsure if your site is secured then we’d recommend taking action ASAP. If you would like us to review your site or wish our team to carry out the migration process, please get in touch.

This matter shouldn’t be ignored so please call us on 01202 88200 if you require assistance.