HTTP & HTTPS these terms decide is your website secured or not? But many of the business owners don’t understand the meaning and importance of that extra ‘S’ in HTTPS. The concept of HTTPS is a pretty interesting topic to discuss on. Before going ahead I just want you to understand what HTTP is?
HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is a protocol that defines what actions web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. For example, if you search for any URL in the browser, it starts the conversation with the web site’s server to download & provide the information you are searching for. Now the issue with HTTP is the conversation browser has with the server can be seen by the third party. To keep it private you need HTTPS. This ‘S’ i.e., SSL keeps your website secure and stops the third party from stealing your personal data.
Years ago, the HTTPS technology was complex and it has a high cost. So many business owners avoided shifting from HTTP to HTTPS. But now this issue is also resolved & having the HTTPS website does not cost you much. Also, Google prefers HTTPS websites over normal HTTP websites, so it makes it more important to have an HTTPS website.
Some are the major benefits for having HTTPS for your website are-
1. Security & Privacy
One of the most important benefits of having the HTTPS website is security for you, your website & users. If your site is not running HTTPS, then the conversation between browser and web server is in plain text & can be accessible by anyone. HTTPS website keeps your data secure and not let anyone see or misuse the sent and received data from the webserver.
If you have an e-commerce website then, there are sensitive information like login credentials, personal details, credit card details & other details is being exchanged between your website & the users, which is why it becomes more important to have an HTTPS website so that this information remains secure & no other person can get access to it.
2. Perceived Security
I will explain this with an example. When you search for any website or link on Google Chrome, it shows you a warning “Not Secure”, if it is not HTTPS, having an HTTPS site is not a problem. It is just a warning for the user’s to tell them not to add any sensitive information & do not allow the browser to access any of your information. In the current scenario, if your website lacks https than users who see this message is not going to trust your website & probably leave your website as soon as they see the message.
We see cybercrime, viruses, hacking, such things are happening very often. And there are much news of the security breach of many companies which is the reason that security is one of the most important things users want when they are visiting the website. Big internet companies like Google are pursuing HTTPS as a “Must Have” feature, for the users as well as the company’s better security.
3. Better SEO Performance
Google has announced that HTTPS is now a ranking factor. It is not a very big factor to change the ranking but yes, it is the small one. For example, you and your competitor are on tie in Google ranking list by other ranking criteria. But you have an HTTPS site, while your competitor doesn’t have it. This one thing can make you rank higher than any other. This is because of the announcement by Google in 2014.
Ranking higher in search listing increases the number of visitors to your site and increases the chances of conversion.
4. Website performance
To run your website smoothly and faster, your website should be on the right web host. But in addition to it, if you have HTTPS, it boosts your website performance. The HTTP protocol was the first version. So, it is very complex & will take much time for communication between the web server and the browser. The connection between the browser and web server speeds up by having an HTTPS website, which means faster website speed and loading time.
Always remember security for your website and users always comes first. No matter what validations, certifications, and precautions you are taking, but having an HTTPS website encrypts all these to protect your website and users of your website from catching in any cyber trap.
Let us know your queries and if you want any assistance in securing your website.
Frequently Asked Question
Why is it important to secure your site with an HTTP?
The internet is full of people who are looking to take advantage of you in any way possible. They want your data, your passwords, and whatever else they can get their hands on. This means that you need to do everything in your power to make sure your site is safe from these bad actors. One thing you can do is use HTTPS for all the pages on your website instead of just HTTP. Doing so will encrypt all the information that goes back and forth between a user’s browser and the server hosting those pages’ content which makes it much more difficult for hackers or other bad actors to break into what’s going on behind closed doors.
What are the advantages of using HTTP?
Use HTTPS to protect yourself against these cybercriminals is by using HTTP, which encrypts all data sent over the network, making it near-impossible for outsiders to read or intercept sensitive information.
HTTPS protects against man-in-the-middle attacks when browsing websites that have been compromised with malicious code (known as phishing). Https guards against unwanted people accessing your private information by preventing them from impersonating trusted sites.
Is an HTTPS website secure?
No, HTTPS only secures the data channel between the browser and the website so that information exchanged between the two is private.
