HTTPS for Websites – May or Must?

Today where every business is online, it is necessary to have an outstanding online presence. Whether it’s a well-established organization, a startup, or e-commerce, it is advisable to have a good and reputed website. The two mandatory requirements for owning a website include a domain and hosting. Providing security for a website may not seem important in the beginning. But with time, it may affect the website’s functionality and performance. If you own an eCommerce website with no security protocol, this will directly affect the sales of products and may cause you to suffer loss in your business. Read on to understand the importance of having a secured web address.

HTTPS and its Purpose

The term HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. HTTPS is the primary protocol, used to send data between a web browser and a website. It encrypts to increase the security of the data transmitted. HTTPS uses an encryption protocol called Transport Layer Security (TLS), formerly known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt communication. This protocol uses an asymmetric Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to secure communication. The private and public are the two keys that encrypt communications between the two parties. Having HTTPS is crucial when users transmit sensitive information such as entering bank account details, email services, etc. Any website that requires any login credentials should use HTTPS. In web browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, the websites that do not use HTTPS are distinct from those that are secured. Every HTTPS website has a green lock on the address bar before the URL begins to signify that the web page is secure. Generally, all the popular brands secure their websites with HTTPS and ensure safety, and that’s the sole purpose of HTTPS.

Consequences of not having HTTPS

Now that the concept of HTTPS and the purpose of its usage is crystal clear. Let us understand the consequences of not having HTTPS enabled on the website. Developing trust among customers is a critical aspect of being successful online. At present, users expect a secure and private experience while using any website HTTPS minimizes the risk of serving unsecured content to the users. If the website does not have a security certification, a message is sent to the users to return to a safe web address. Having an unsecured web address affects sales and reduces traffic on the website as the user does not prefer visiting unsafe websites. The unsecured website is prone to attacks, and hackers can steal the information effortlessly.

Some common mistakes to avoid while securing the website

One should always protect all its websites with HTTPS, even if they do not handle sensitive information, as it leaves less room for error and gains customers’ confidence.

Few key points to remember

• To get an HTTPS on the website, purchase a security certificate from a trusted source that offers technical support as well.
• Decide on the kind of Certificate you need. Select from Single, Wildcard, or SAN to secure multiple origins with many dynamic subdomains.
• Redirect your users and search engines to the HTTPS website.
• Having an HTTPS-enabled website helps in improving SEO.
• HTTPS secured websites make deployment simpler and improve overall website performance.
• Nowadays, users are specific about their data security. Using HTTPS can gain the confidence of clients.