An Introduction
As you may have heard, this month (July 2018) brings about major changes to the way that non-HTTPS sites are handled. Using HTTPS allows all data that is transferred from a site to a user’s computer and vice-versa is encrypted so that it is much more difficult for a third party to intercept the data. This is important because, by default, all traffic is sent via HTTP and any personal information, payment information, or private information that is sent via HTTP can be compromised.
The Changes
Beginning in July 2018, all HTTP sites viewed in Chrome (version 68 or later) will be marked as ‘not secure’. This means that any website that is not equipped with an HTTPS certificate will be flagged as such and the trustworthiness of the site will immediately be impacted. With a rise in cyber crime and an increase in data breaches, consumers are being taught to look for the ‘green lock’ and the ‘https’ designation in the address bar of pages. Having these will ensure that your customers fully trust your site and your business.
Why You Should Care
Whether you are a consumer that is simply utilizing a website to view your finances or a business owner that runs a multi-million dollar eCommerce website, security should be of the upmost importance. As a consumer, you want to be able to trust each website you visit to maintain your information in a secure facility and to provide secure methods of transferring this information back and forth to you. As a business owner, you want to provide this level of trust for your consumers and ensure that all of their information is safely transmitted and safely stored to avoid costly penalties and legal issues.
What You Can Do
This is where the good news comes in! First, if BIG is hosting your website, you have nothing to worry about! All of our hosting packages include HTTPS and will not be affected by any of these changes. If BIG is not your hosting provider, we would love to be and you can find out more information here! If your current host is not providing you with a method of secure communication between you and your clients, you should contact them immediately for options!
