There is already a wealth of knowledge available online covering the topic of SSL certification, HTTP vs. HTTPS, what Google is doing with Chrome and what you need to do to secure your site. We’re not going to redigest that information to you but we are going to give a top-level overview to help identify if and when you should be enquiring about SSL Certification.
So why the sudden talk about SSL?
As with many new happenings on the internet, it is Google that has triggered the flurry of messages you’ve received and articles you’ve read on the need for SSL. Firstly DON’T PANIC. Your site is not suddenly going to disappear or be unreachable because you haven’t implemented an SSL certificate.
Google is now pushing for all sites collecting personal information to have a HTTPS connection like that in the image above. With new GDPR regulations set to come in mid next year, Google has likely predicted the secure internet standard of the future.
How is Google doing this you ask? By marking pages right in the URL bar of their native browser. Those sites which are secured by SSL appear like ours does (pictured above and in your URL bar if on chrome).
But do I really need SSL?
If you haven’t already twigged, it’s likely that all sites wanting to be taken seriously on the internet will need to adopt this standard sooner rather then later. New General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) are set to come into play as of May 2018 so we would definitely recommend upgrading by then to ensure compliance with changing requirements. GDPR will apply to processors and data controllers of all size, so it would be ignorant to assume you are below it if only a small business.
Even if an SSL certificate does not have a direct impact on compliance to GDPR it will give your customers peace of mind when entering their personal data on your site. Many individuals are now cautious to avoid providing even a name and email if the page is not showing as secure. This will instantly start to cost you valuable leads and worse still, reflect negatively on the reputation of your business.
Getting SSL secured
It’s time to get your site HTTPS secure, but what is the next step? There is no one answer for all here as it depends on your site, your domain, where it is registered and who has access.
That is why Echo is offering a free SSL consultation. A few minutes on the phone and we’ll be able to diagnose the next step in securing your online presence.
We also offer SSL Certification & management
Whether you are an existing customer, currently have a site in development with Echo or have never worked with us before, we are able to add SSL certification to your site, meaning that all important green secure sign from Google!
In most case’s the charge for this is only £80.00 a year (+ VAT) and this ensures peace of mind for your business online.
Adding an SSL Certificate to your site if done incorrectly can cause great damage to your hard earned online reputation. Rankings may fall, visitors may decrease or non-secure versions of your site may be accessed.
Echo has completed SSL certifications on a wide variety of sites from large e-commerce platforms to local sole trader operations. By using only reputable Certificate Authorities we can guarantee security for your site that is indicated by Google’s URL bar.
Enquire about SSL Certification Now
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