5 Major Reasons Why a “Secure” (HTTPS) Website is Crucial for Your Business

Everyday you do everything you can in order to ensure the best experience for your customers. And security is number one when it comes to your digital presence. The status of your website “Not Secure” calls out for immediate action. So thinks a web giant “Google” as well.

One of the main areas of website security is that the website utilizes TLS (earlier SSL), which stands for Transport Layer Security (earlier Secure Socket Layer). It is a standard security technology that establishes an encrypted connection between a web server and a browser, with the URL being prefixed with “HTTPS” (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) instead of the standard and insecure “HTTP”. The extra letter “S” stands for “Secure”.

Here are 5 major reasons why the extra “S” is so important for your business.

1. “Google” matters

For the past several years, “Google” has been strongly advocating that all sites would adopt HTTPS encryption.

Back in 2014, “Google” presented the idea of “HTTPS everywhere” and advised of putting one in a favorable position of a better ranking in their search once opting out for “secure”.[1]

It only affected a small percentage at the very beginning, but it has gained more weight eventually. 

“Google” definitely prefers to direct visitors to trusted websites with HTTPS configured.

Watch out! That means you are losing traffic to your competitor with a site more secure than yours.

From July 2018 with the release of Chrome 68, Chrome marks all HTTP sites as “not secure”. It is a red flag warning for a potential customer.[2]

If I were you, I would stay on good terms with “Google”.

2. Security threats

It is a misconception of some that HTTPS is needed only for sites that handle information like financial, medical or otherwise sensitive data.

Any information you typically submit to a website or retrieve from a site is sent as plain text and can be viewed if an intruder is able to intercept the information.

In encompasses logins, contact forms, credit card details, browsing patterns, passwords, bank account number and chat logs, etc.

TLS encrypts the information that is shared between the browser and the web server. In case the information is intercepted by an attacker, they will not be able to read the data.

What is more, with TLS, transferable data cannot be intentionally or otherwise modified or corrupted without being detected.

Furthermore, it prevents an intruder from passively listening to communications with your server. This is difficult to catch, but it is a growing security threat.

3. More security threats

Without a secure website, it is not only the data mentioned in Part 2 that may be stolen.

There is a great chance that hackers may infect your website with malware that is spread further to the visitors of your website. [3]

Or an intruder might use your website to attack other sites.

Therefore, the “Secure” website is a highly considerable preventative measure in regard to cyber-attack.

There is no business too small for a hacker to attack since it is their choice, not yours.

In addition, some legitimate third parties such as internet service providers are able to inject ads into your pages if not using HTTPS.  

In the USA, it is legal for your internet service provider to check your web browsing history and sell it to advertisers.

An internet service provider will only see that you are connecting to a specific website instead of individual pages you are viewing with HTTPS.

It is your decision whether to prevent it or not by going “Secure”.

4. Credibility and professionalism

Yes, your credibility is being judged by how your business website looks like.

Your site gains the reputation of a safe place online with HTTPS.  

A lock symbol says it all and creates a sense of security for consumers.

Especially if consumers add personal details, create an account with a password login or sign up for a newsletter.

The general public is more concerned these days once “surfing” the net since it is an age of phishing, malware, viruses, and other illicit behavior.

As a professional, it is your responsibility to show you care about their privacy.

Also, most of the users typically close the browser after they run into the message “This website is not secure”. Red exclamation mark warns people away from your site.

And they are right, it is not worth taking a risk.

5. Cost of a data breach

Nowadays, most states have strict data breach laws with stiff penalties, fines, and other regulatory sanctions.

That could add up to a fortune. Different statistics advise the cost of a data breach varies between $1.8 and $42 billion dollars per year.

Per IBM Security and Ponemon Institute study released back in 2018, the USA is leading in the most data breaches with $7.91 million.

Second is Canada with $4.74 million, third is Germany with $4.67 million, fourth is France with $4.27 million and fifth is the United Kingdom with $3.68 million.[4]

Obviously, the bigger the breach, the higher the cost.

Even if a security breach at a business is not evaluated as a data breach, it still has a major negative impact on your business.

You are in danger of losing your business and financial information.

And it is the easiest way to lose your customers’ trust in a blink once they find out.

And your revenue.

And your business contacts.

And the brand name you’ve built for years.

Quick recap

• “Google” requires HTTPS and has taken measures for HTTPS sites to be ranked higher, which allows having more visits of potential customers on your website;
• Browser makers display warnings if a website is not secure what navigates consumers away from your site;
• Too dangerous to ignore the “S”: from unwanted ads to cases of injected malware into users’ computers on HTTP only;
• And from altered information in transit to stolen medical records and credit cards’ information on insecure HTTP;
• HTTPS boosts the reputation of your site as a safe place online;
• Data breach equals not only a financial loss payable for damages, but it also means the loss of your customers’ trust, revenue, brand name, business, and financial information.

To wrap it up, HTTPS is becoming a standard. Make security a top priority and one of the main reasons to do business with you. Help to reduce cyber-attack levels and promote the best practice in the digital world.

Please contact us and we’d be happy to assist you with deploying HTTPS for your website.

Sources:

[1] https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2014/08/https-as-ranking-signal.html

[2] https://security.googleblog.com/2018/02/a-secure-web-is-here-to-stay.html

[3] https://thehackernews.com/2016/02/china-hacker-malware.html

[4] https://databreachcalculator.mybluemix.net/