An Overview Of SSL Changes – What It Means For Your Website
In today’s ever-changing online landscape, it’s paramount that businesses Google’s best practices to ensure they remain competitive in their respective online markets. With Google being the most dynamic and influential company on the internet, it’s imperative for them to keep abreast of all the threats and opportunities that the internet produces. Hence, Google releases a myriad of updates every year: new features, bug fixes, and the majority pertaining to the very secretive Google search ranking algorithm.
What’s important though, is that all online suppliers that use Google-related services (virtually every online business), recognise important changes that may have a bearing on their SEO, performance, and ultimately their bottom-line. The internet is in a constant state of change, so online companies need to be flexible and accustom to new Google updates as soon as possible to ensure they aren’t negatively influenced by these new releases.
The biggest Google update that has recently had an effect on online providers relates to Google Chrome v62, which was released in October of this year. The Google Chrome web browser is used by virtually 50% of all online users, so it’s really important that online providers implement the appropriate changes as swiftly as possible if they aspire to avoid any negative repercussions.
What has changed in Google Chrome v62?
In the Google Chrome v62 update, Google has changed the way in which it marks non-secured (HTTP) pages. If a non-secured (HTTP) page stores passwords and credit card information (which is housed in a plain text file), they are prone to phishing sites that can essentially steal this information from buyers that wrongly believe they are supplying their personal information to a legitimate company. The Google Chrome browser will begin marking any text input field and web address bar as ‘NOT SECURE’ for HTTP pages.
This change will visibly bear upon millions of websites around the world. Before the change, many non-secured websites weren’t impaired by phishing attacks simply because they didn’t have a public-facing member login, and chose PayPal or other offsite payment processors to accept online payments. Now, however, all websites will need to start securing their web pages given that users will become scared of succumbing to malevolent attacks if they enter personal information into fields marked boldly as ‘NOT SECURE’.
How to make web pages secure?
For online providers that would like to secure their previously non-secured (HTTP) web pages, they must encrypt the information being exchanged between their visitors and their web server by integrating an SSL certificate. Google are evidently pushing for a more secure internet than ever before, and they’ve chosen SSL encryption as a vehicle to do this. For website owners who want to enable HTTPS on their web servers, here is an informative guide: https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/security/encrypt-in-transit/enable-https?hl=en. The following link is an additional guide on how you can avoid the ‘NOT SECURE’ warning in Google Chrome which is intended for website developers: https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2016/10/avoid-not-secure-warn.
What this means for online businesses?
The recent Google update denotes that HTTPS and SSL encryption will become the norm across all web pages on the web. Sooner or later, each online provider will need to secure their web pages using SSL encryption whether they like it or not, or users will simply find a competitor that does.
What this also signifies is that not all websites using SSL encryption should be trusted, and there will be a significant increase in phishing sites using HTTPS also. Phishing sites can simply use phony SSL certificates to evade the ‘NOT SECURE’ warning by Google Chrome and make their websites appear authentic. This will make the differentiation between phishing sites and real websites more complicated than ever. Online companies that use an Extended Validation Certificate (EV SSL) will be the most trusted websites on the net because it will be exceptionally difficult for phishing sites to mimic the authenticity that EV SSL provides.
Making all websites use SSL certificates to demonstrate their authenticity will only increase the number of phishing sites that do the same. At the end of the day, however, SSL encryption will inevitably become compulsory, so if you need any support in securing your website with SSL encryption, consult the digital specialists at Internet Marketing Experts by calling 1300 595 013, or visit their website for additional information: https://internetmarketingexperts.net.au
