In the address bars of most browsers, most of you might have noticed either http:// or https:// at the beginning of each website’s URLs. Those who are surfing the internet casually may have not noticed or may have not paid attention. But whether a website starts with a http:// or a https://, the latter indicates that it is secure and personal information on that website will be safe.

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Sadly, data breaches and cyberattacks have risen sharply. As per the findings of leading digital security firms across the globe, cyber attacks rose by 32% in the first three months of the year 2018 and between April and June of the same year, they rose by 47%.

That is quite a lot when compared to the same periods of the year 2017.

In today’s age, cyber threats, data breaches and online uncertainty have grown. Consumers are losing confidence when it comes to online business. Fortunately, there are ways to regain that trust and confidence back when businesses have taken the necessary precautions in keeping data safe and secure. One of the best ways to bring back confidence of online business in customers is for websites to switch to HTTPS from HTTP.

Is there any reason for a business to switch to HTTPS from HTTP? Yes, and there is more than one reason to do so. They are as under:

• Contents hide

  1 User data is encrypted

  2 It helps increase the search engine ranking of a website

  3 If the website is not secure, the browser will give a warning

  4 Advantages of using HTTPS websites continue to rise

  5 Conclusion

  User data is encrypted

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a structure for transferring and receiving information on the internet. The problem with it is that the data that is transferred is done so as plain text. This means that any individual attempting to intercept this exchange of data between the browser and server can read the data relatively easily.

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HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is different. It is a much more secure and advanced version of HTTP. It encrypts the exchange of data with a secure services layer (SSL) certificate. Using this certificate tells visitors that the website is verified and that the information they have put on it is handled and controlled safely.

• It helps increase the search engine ranking of a website

A few years ago, when an analyst for Google Webmaster Trends named Gary Illyes revealed that when the quality signals for two search results are equal, HTTPS is the one that serves as the real tie breaker.

The website’s trustworthiness plays a crucial role and is a critical factor when it comes to be ranked by Google’s ranking algorithm. For this reason, Google Prioritizes websites that are secure as they are trustworthy. Whereas, websites using HTTP are penalized and will never be given preference by Google.

• If the website is not secure, the browser will give a warning

According to numerous studies and research conducted by a top-notch web development agency in Columbus, only 2 percent of customers will process past warnings indicating the website is not secure (Not Secure warnings coming from the left of the browser address bar). This indicates the website is using a HTTP connection.

This also means that internet users are likely to lose out on a significant amount of website traffic, simply through either the website’s connection is secure or not secure.

• Advantages of using HTTPS websites continue to rise

The advantages of using HTTPS rise with time. Having a secure website brings a business a unique peace of mind which is unmatchable and unbeatable. A secure website also allows a business to stay ahead of the curve and of the competition.

Data breaches and cyber attacks are rising proportionately. It is best to have a secure site to continue working online and a secure site is much more important these days when it comes to having an online presence.

Conclusion

A secure website has numerous benefits. It is a necessity as insecure websites will not only be knocked off the internet by Google and other search engines but also not every cyber regulating authority prefers having an insecure website in the digital cyberspace.

An insecure website is also the reason why hackers are able to carry out cyberattacks. Businesses having an online presence need to ramp up their game and improve security standards of their websites so they can stay in the game and be ranked high too.