Time to secure all website traffic using HTTPS/SSL encryption
For many years only eCommerce website owners really made use of HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) encryption for their website. Strongly encouraged by search engines, browser manufacturers and public perception, there is now little reason to delay changing your website.
To have a website using an encrypted connection you’ll need a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate and for years this has been a little pricey for smaller businesses to consider without enough perceived benefits to make it worth it. The cost being in the yearly certificate fee(s) and the additional time to ensure all requests across the website reference only secure assets.
Having HTTPS on your website does not completely secure your website from hacking intrusions but it does dramatically cut down on the open vulnerabilities of the website. Perhaps as importantly it makes it safer for visitors of your website when using a shared or public network from sessions hijacking. This would provide a user full access to that website, which becomes worrying the website in questions holds personally identifiable information, billing details etc.
Secure web milestones
Gmail users always use HTTPS
January 12, 2010
January 2010 Google made Gmail users always use HTTPS which was a landmark step encrypting all emails as they travelled back and forth around the world.
Reference
Google. 2010. Default https access for Gmail.
SSL encrypted Google search
May 21, 2010
Google introduced an SSL encrypted search ability to their users.
Reference
Google. 2010. Search more securely with encrypted Google web search.
Facebook secure browsing option
January 31, 2011
In January 2011 Facebook provided users the option of browsing the site via a secure (HTTPS) connection.
Reference
Sumobaby. 2011. Is your Facebook account secure? LKearn how to secure it.
Twitter: Always use HTTPS setting
March 15, 2011
On March 15th 2011, Twitter begun to provide users the “Always use HTTPS” setting.
Reference
Twitter. 2011. Making Twitter more secure: HTTPS.
Secure search for authenticated users
October 18, 2011
or anyone logged into a Google product, any searches performed would be over an encrypted SSL connection.
Reference
Google. 2011. Making search more secure.
All Google search secure
September 23, 2013
Google switches to entirely secure search. This results in no more keyword referral in web analytics from Google searches.
In Google Analytics you will see “(not provided)” as the referral keyword.
Reference
Search Engine Watch. 2013. Goodbye, Keyword Data: Google Moves Entirely to Secure Search.
Ranking boost to secure websites
August 6, 2014
Google to give secure websites a ranking boost in search.
Reference
Google. 2014. HTTPS as a ranking signal.
Google Chrome non-secure alert
September 8, 2016
Google announces that Chrome will begin alerting users to non-secure websites. We see similar executions in Firefox and Safari.
Reference
Google. 2016. Moving towards a more secure web.
To conclude, whatever the extent of the uplift in rank for search results or the obvious security benefits to website owners and those visiting your website what Sumobaby is beginning to see more of clients asking about having their website appear better more trustworthy due to the changes in how browsers handle non-secure websites.
