By | Diksha Jani
Web browsers must ensure their patrons can navigate the internet with relative ease. Security is also an essential aspect for them as visitors need to be protected from bad websites. There has been a tremendous growth in data breaches over the years that has hit the reputation of businesses. Statistics show that visitors prefer safer sites, and 90.2% of visitors on Chrome spent their time on HTTPs pages.
Visitors have turned to the internet for a variety of search options. Most of the visitors refer to the internet to find out about a product to frame their purchase decision. The number of internet users that become too much that web browsers need to pay heed to the clarion call to make the internet safe for all users.
What has Google done?
In July 2018, Google Chrome – the most used web browser, came up with an update that changed the internet forever and became the death knell for many websites. In the Chrome 68 update, they mentioned that they would mark all non-HTTPS sites as “Not Secure”. It is marked on the address bar.
The incoming visitors, who are also your potential leads, can understand whether a website they intend to visit is safe or not. A warning stating that the site could be “Not Secure” will make them bounce off your website right away and land to the competition. Few closed group research also shows that the HTTPS websites have a significant advantage in search rankings over non-HTTPS ones. Studies also show that 90.2% of browsing time on Chrome is spent on HTTPS pages. It becomes crucial to buy cheap SSL certificate.
What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate is provided after various steps of authentication of the website and organisation based on the type of certificate. It secures the communication between the web browser of the visitor and the webserver of the website. As a result, the communication can be read by the intended recipient with the key to the conversation.
(Source: https://www.buildthis.io/buy-ssl-certificate/)
To have a secure connection, the SSL certificate is installed on the webserver and authenticates the website identity and encrypts the data being transmitted. It will help you to encrypt the sensitive communication with any visitor to your website. Without an SSL certificate, the site will not have any cryptographic key. It will lead to a severe vulnerability, and the website will face the risk of a data breach.
Websites with the SSL certificate will have the padlock shown on the address bar. It is proof that the site is secure, and visitors can continue their journey on the website. It is also crucial for businesses to ensure that the migration to the HTTPS protocol is foolproof without any mixed content as it can adversely affect the reputation of the website.
How does the SSL certificate work?
When a visitor accesses a secure website, an SSL handshake occurs when a connection is set up between the webserver of the site and browser of the visitor. The web server sends a copy of its SSL certificate. It is checked by the browser whether it trusts the certification or not. A message is sent to the webserver if it is found trustworthy. The web server then sends out a digital acknowledgement. A session, encrypted by the SSL, is started. The communication can be decrypted by only the entity that is supposed to receive the communication and has the corresponding session key.
(Source: https://www.entrustdatacard.com/pages/ssl)
Why is SSL important for Google?
While an HTTPS site has enhanced conversion rates and data protection, it also has a higher ranking on Google’s keyword search. An SSL certificate also helps to prevent cyberattacks by preventing fraudsters from accessing information mid-way between communication happening between two entities over an insecure medium. Let us go through some of the reasons why an SSL certificate is so necessary for web browsers.
It encrypts communication with the visitor
Websites must ensure the security of all information that is received from the user and stored on their servers. An SSL certificate helps to secure sensitive information of the visitor, including their demographics and financial information. All information can be transmitted using the secure HTTPS protocol.
It provides a sense of trust
Web browsers need to provide a secure browsing environment for their users. The SSL certificate helps websites to secure the communication with visitors and visitors are notified by the presence of the padlock on the address bar. Sites need to gain the trust of the visitors upfront. Otherwise, there is a risk of losing customers to competitors.
It confirms the website identity
Based on the type of certificate, the credentials of the owner and the website gets authenticated by aCertification Authority (CA). Businesses have to provide their credentials that are verified before the certificate is allocated. When you receive the SSL certificate, it proves your identity and enhances the trustworthiness of the site.
SSL certificate is vital for SEO
In 2014, the Google search engine announced that they were adding secure websites as a ranking factor. Google had around 200 factors to rank websites against search queries. It was in response to a broader need to make the internet a safer place for users. It gave HTTPS sites a benefit in search results, while non-HTTPS sites were penalised heavily.It is also essential to install SSL certificate properly to prevent mixed content.
Conclusion
The risk of a data breach has been growing over the years and has led to businesses ramping up their cyber defences. Web browsers, who have a responsibility of ensuring a safe internet, have advocated the use of SSL certificates by websites to shore up their defences against cyberattacks. As a result, it becomes crucial that websites buy cheap SSL certificate to instil a sense of trust in their visitors and show that they are safe websites to visit. An SSL certificate also boosts search rankings as it is one of the factors that determine the ranking a website will have for a particular keyword.
