Insecure Site Warnings Now Standard
Insecure site warnings are standard fair for Google and Chrome browsers if any page seeks input. We got this Google Search Console Team email for a client’s site today. As we’ve mentioned in earlier posts, Google is pushing to get insecure sites to be HTTPS secured.
As the email states, the browser “will mark pages that collect passwords or credit card details as “Not Secure” unless the pages are served over HTTPS.”
This includes insecure site pages with login information such as the following warning on a WordPress site.
Not Just Credit Cards and Logins – Forms Too
The Chrome browser, as well as Firefox, will mark a page insecure for any data collection – not just passwords and credit cards as the message from the Google Search Console Team mentions. Below are screen shots from an insecure site page that asks for the email to add to a newsletter signup.
Any website pages that ask visitors to enter information, even a simple contact form or request for email address, will show as insecure on Chrome and Firefox browsers.
With over 2/3rds of global internet traffic using Chrome and Firefox*, now is the time to get your website secured!
Getting your site properly secured can be complicated and time consuming. You will need to obtain and properly install an SSL certificate. Some hosts may provide this as part of your hosting or for an extra charge. Beyond this, the website will need to be configured to force visitors to https. Chances are you will still have content throughout the website, such as images and links, that have http:// instead of https://. In other words, visitors could still get an insecure warning even with the SSL certificate and forced https. So all those links will need to be changed as well.
Seek Professional Assistance
Could you do this yourself? Maybe. There are lots of forums you can search or maybe your host could help you. Chances are you may run into issues new to you so it is suggested you get professional help.
Bottom line, could you change your car oil yourself? Probably, but why? Some things are just not worth the effort and should be left to a pro. It is faster, gets done right and you have much more important things to do with your time.
This is where we’ll shamelessly suggest you consider Developer Squad. We have the experience and expertise to get it done correctly, with little or no downtime!
For as little as 55 cents a day, you get:
- Secure, trusted connections (SSL Certificate)
- Private flow of info between server and visitor (SSL/TLS Encryption)
But wait, there’s more! You also get:
- Malware protection
- Malware cleaning
- Malware removal
- Bot Protection to stop content scraping and minimize spam comments.
- Continued reputation threat monitoring to stop threats before they happen.
- Content closer to the visitor for faster load times via a global CDN.
- Better performance through caching and optimization.
- 24×7 online chat support
Oh, and a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!
Is the security of your site, visitors and customers worth some spare change? Okay, end of shameless plug.