Google aims to make all websites more secure to protect users, and now is probably a good time to check out how secure your website is.
A change in Google Chrome is coming in July 2018 which will show a warning to users when they submit an enquiry form on a website that is not secure. Do you want your customers being warned that sending you an enquiry is insecure?
Google is on a quest to make the internet more secure. Step by step they are making it essential for websites to have security measures to make customers safe and secure online.
After years of pushing for ‘secure by default’ websites, Google will identify insecure sites in the Chrome browser.
In July 2018, Google will release an update to their Google Chrome browser which will show a warning when a user enters data on a website that isn’t secure. Google Chrome is used by almost 60% of internet users so this is an important update.
Is your website secure?
Some website hosting includes a Security Certificate which shows that your website is trusted, and provides a special encryption key that the browser can use to securely send things like credit card details and personal information from a customer to the website.
If your website has a Security Certificate, the browser will show a lock in the address bar and possibly the word “Secure” like this:
If you don’t have a Security Certificate, Google considers that your website is NOT SECURE, and from July 2018 if a customer comes to your website and tries to fill in a form on your website, such as an enquiry form, it will warn the user that it’s not secure.
When a customer lands on your website, and they see the following in the url:
- a green padlock
- the letters ‘HTTPS’
- website address
Then you are good to go! Your website is safe and ready for the July 2018 Chrome update. If these are not all visible, then you might want to contact us.
What is the risk to the user?
If your website is not secured with a Security Certificate anything the user sends to you via a website form (like an enquiry form, quote form, payment form etc) could be intercepted by a hacker and they’d be able to read all of the information clearly. If this includes personal details such as name, address, phone, email there’s issues with potential for identity theft, and if it’s credit card details the hacker could go on a spending spree!
Not all websites are collecting personal information. Your website might only be used to list your services and your contact information. However, with that extra layer of security your site visitors know that the business name and information you provided to the public has already been matched against additional documentation which proves you are who you say you are. There’s no better way to create trust! Plus, that trust extends to Google, and then Google knows who you are, then it’s more likely to offer your website on web searches.
How to make your website secure
If your website isn’t secure, ask your website hosting provider to add a Security Certificate to your website and enforce this on your website so a user can’t accidentally access your website without using the secure connection. In most cases adding a Security Certicate will increase your hosting costs slightly, but shouldn’t be a significant increase.
If you’re not sure about the security of your website, get in touch and we’ll take a look.
