To get straight to the point: httpS has to do with security and, more recently, with marketing. In this post I briefly explain why https is not only important for banks but for every website operator.
Table of contents
What does https mean?
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure and is an encrypted connection between a web browser and a web server. It is a secure variant of the HTTP protocol, which is normally used to transfer data between a web browser and a web server. The encryption technology used with HTTPS protects the data transmitted between the browser and the server against interception and manipulation.
Why is https important for security?
To read this blog entry here, your computer sent a request to our server asking it to send this article, which it obviously did. This communication works unencrypted via HTTP (i.e. without the S), like a postcard. If someone gets in between and intercepts the data stream, they can read everything without much effort.
Example banks
One example of why HTTPS is important for banks is the protection of customer data. Let’s assume a customer logs into their online banking account to make transfers. Without HTTPS, an attacker can intercept the connection between the customer and the bank and steal the login data and other confidential information. With HTTPS, however, the connection is encrypted, which makes it more difficult for the attacker to steal the data.
A small symbol in the browser indicates whether the connection is encrypted or not. Different browsers display security differently. A lock is always good and indicates that the connection is secure. Insecure pages will also be marked accordingly in future.
Why is https relevant for online marketing?
Google’s ranking algorithm is at least as well guarded as the recipe for Coca Cola. Many different factors influence the ranking of your page and thus decide whether you are in position 1 or 362,984. Since 2014, https has also been such a factor. In other words: encrypted pages get a better ranking.
- Websites without https are marked as untrustworthy
- Websites without https are listed poorly or not at all on Google!
But that’s not all. Google will continue to promote security and sooner or later mark all websites that are not transmitted via httpS as “Not secure”. Doesn’t really leave a trusting impression.
It is therefore a matter of course for us that all our pages are delivered via https as standard.
How does HTTPS work?
HTTPS is based on an asymmetric encryption technology called public key encryption. Every web server that offers an HTTPS connection has a public and a private key pair. The public key is sent to the web browser when a connection is established. The key is used by the web browser to encrypt the user’s data before it is sent to the web server. The private key is used by the web server to decrypt the encrypted data. This protects the transmitted data against interception and manipulation.
How can you implement HTTPS on your website?
To set up HTTPS on a website, you need an SSL certificate. This certificate is used by the web server to verify the identity of the website and establish a secure connection. There are different types of SSL certificates, including Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV). DV certificates are the easiest to obtain and are well suited for small websites or blogs. OV and EV certificates are more expensive, but offer higher security and are more suitable for websites that process confidential information, such as e-commerce websites or banks.
A good option for obtaining a free SSL certificate is Let’s Encrypt. Let’s Encrypt is a certification authority that issues free SSL certificates. Many hosting platforms, such as WordPress.com, have already integrated Let’s Encrypt into their platform, making it easy for website owners to enable HTTPS on their website.
Conclusion
HTTPS is an important protocol that helps to ensure the security of user data and increase user confidence in a website. It is also a factor that influences the ranking of a website in search engines and is therefore also important for marketing. Every website operator should implement HTTPS on their website to ensure the security and trust of users.
If you still have a site that has not been converted to https, but you have no idea or desire to do so, just get in touch and we will help you.