SSL Certificates are becoming increasingly important as Google creates more ways to penalise websites by flagging them as not secure.

If you spend time browsing the internet, the chances are you will have noticed a green padlock next to a website address displaying the prefix “https://”. In fact, if you look at the URL (website address) displayed in your browser now, you’ll see one showing on this website. This indicates that the website is secured by what is referred to as an SSL certificate and its quickly becoming a must-have feature for new and existing websites.

People using the internet are becoming more conscious of securing their personal information when browsing online. As security becomes more of an issue, companies like Google are creating new ways to ensure its users’ personal information is secure by flagging non-secure websites.

So what is an SSL Certificate?

SSL stands for ‘Secure Sockets Layer’ and is the technology used for securely establishing an encrypted connection between computer networks. It ensures that any sensitive information such as customer names, phone numbers, addresses and credit card numbers that come through your site remain private and secure.

The certificate itself ties the ownership of a web server to encrypted keys, the same keys used to activate a secure connection within the web browser which allows the HTTPS and the padlock symbol to be displayed.

Why does your website need an SSL certificate?

First and foremost to protect the personal information that visitors to your website may provide. This could be names and email addresses given on contact forms, passwords on accounts or more importantly credit card details whenever a purchase is made online.

Secondly to establish trust. A visitor to your website is more likely to engage if they have confidence that their personal information is protected. Websites that don’t have an SSL certificate are at risk of being flagged as insecure. Visitors to your site will receive warning messages advising them not to fill in personal details due to the security risk.

An SSL certificate on your website provides users with peace of mind that their personal information is protected, while not having one can have a negative impact as users may not trust your website.

The green padlock next to your URL makes a website’s security status immediately recognisable to all users, so they can feel comfortable inputting personal details to sign-up to a newsletter or complete a purchase. An SSL certificate on your website provides users with peace of mind that their personal information is protected. On the other hand, not having an SSL certificate can also have a negative impact as users may not trust your website.

How do I get an SSL certificate?

For CubeMedia it is imperative to ensure our clients are following the most up to date security procedures on their websites. The process for obtaining SSLs isn’t difficult and can be implemented in a relatively short amount of time. We can assist by:

  • Choosing the right certificate for you
  • Installing the certificate
  • Configuring your website to use the HTTPS prefix as a default
  • Testing to confirm that the SSL is installed correctly and displaying on your website

We are dedicated to helping our clients safe guard their own and their customers data and are on hand to support those who have not yet upgraded to HTTPS. Get in touch with us if this is something you want us to implement on your website.