"A well-secured connection is essential for websites and web shops these days. In the context of 'a better and safer internet', Google has started this year to label safe and unsafe websites. Websites that are not equipped with a so-called SSL certificate may receive a prominent message in the Chrome address bar stating that the connection to this site is not secure. All the more reason to arrange this quickly if necessary! Epartment can assist you with this.
Why secure your webshop?
With unsecured websites, it is possible for the data stream to be intercepted and read. Therefore, Google intends to warn all 'unsafe' websites with a search function and forms starting from October 2017 – so certainly all web shops – by providing a security warning. Ultimately, Google wants to label all http websites with such a message. If you have a lot of visitors via the Google Chrome web browser, it is very likely that such a warning will negatively impact your conversion and bounce rate. Moreover, Google prefers websites with an HTTPS connection and this has a positive effect on the ranking in organic search results.
What is SSL?
Through the SSL protocol, or actually TLS, data is securely sent over the internet via very strong encryption. With an SSL connection, only the intended recipient can view the content of the data, without people or computers being able to eavesdrop. SSL also prevents the transmitted information to and from the website from being altered and provides extra assurance about the identity of both the website and the visitor. With an SSL connection, you always have a secure connection and convey reliability to your website visitors… a must for every website or webshop!
When is a website 'safe'?
A website is deemed safe by Google if it is equipped with an SSL certificate. A website secured via SSL is recognizable by HTTPS in the URL, a green padlock, or a fully green label for the website's URL. HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure, which is an extension of the HTTP protocol for secure data exchange.
How do I obtain an SSL certificate?
You can easily arrange an SSL certificate through Epartment. Here you can choose from various levels to encrypt the website. The cheapest option is free and can be implemented within an hour. The three levels of SSL are:
Domain Validation: securing a single domain name; the certificate does not contain any company information
Wildcard Domain Validation: like option 1 with the extra benefit of securing an unlimited number of subdomains under one domain name
Extended Validation (EV): SSL certificate with extended validation that meets very strict guidelines regarding identity verification; the EV SSL secures one domain and displays your company name in a green address bar
Do you not yet use an SSL certificate for your domain names? Then we advise you to arrange this as soon as possible. For advice and support, you can contact us."
