Data Safety is the most discussed topic these days. Internet security becomes an important concern in an increasingly growing digital world where many businesses are turning to online payments especially when almost 50,000 websites are hacked every day & 44% of the total cyber attacks are against small companies.
I have got weird responses from the market when I talk about web security, & I wonder people are least bothered about the security of their property (website).
Not only web security, people don't care about their costly engines (laptops), their surroundings (public safety), and even their own lives (road safety).
Life Insurance, health insurance, and vehicle insurance is a different topic & I won't get into that in detail, rather I am talking about the consumer data.
I mean how can they put their consumer privacy at stake?
How can a business be so careless about the data safety of its clients? Just as you might have heard about the Zoom app. How users' data has been put at stake. I wonder how can a well-known app be hacked to misuse user data.
Although a website can't be 100% secure from cyber attacks. But, the chances of being a victim can be reduced to a minimum by adopting correct security methods.
An SSL (Security Socket Layer) is what I recommend that every business should have on its website, especially after the release of Chrome 68, in which Google prioritized websites with SSL certificates for better search engine rankings.
What SSL certificates can do I won't discuss that deep as it is already defined very well by the experts.
But a great advantage I would mention here is the engagement of a visitor for longer periods of time as he/she feels secure about data transfers, credit card transactions, logins & other personal information.
Trust is incredibly important to online shoppers & without some kind of approved mark or a seal on the web page, they will be more likely to leave & take their business somewhere else. Google suggests the following tips while setting up your SSL certificate.
Only use SSL Certificates that are given from trusted sources.
Use certificates with 2048-bit keys.
Allow your web pages to be indexed by search engines.
Securing your website is very important if you want to be competitive online and build trust with your customers.
Switching from http to https sooner rather than later will only benefit your website and business. Paying attention to security concerns helps you rank higher in SEO rankings.
In addition, an SSL certificate also contributes to your brand image and sets a solid reputation for your website, as it clearly communicates you understand the responsibility that comes with being a webmaster.
HTTPS also protects against phishing attacks. There are three most important reasons why you should have a secure website
Authentication
Data Integrity
Encryption
All these factors are very well defined by Megan Burgess in her blog. I can show you the proven results for Authentication.
My websites are "Norton Verified" & it brings a trust level not only to a customer but a verified tick in the browser, in addition to the padlock (green lock in the URL window).
Even Symantec suggests you can increase your transaction value by 23% & conversion rate from 18-87% if you own an e-commerce business, and it is mandatory for e-commerce websites to have an SSL as they have to comply with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards and protect customer data.
Certain types of SSL certificates, like EV SSL Certificates, require more validation than others.
The prices for the SSL certificate vary depending on the provider and the exact type of SSL you choose.
Always consult either with an SSL provider or your marketing agency to know which SSL is the best fit for you.
However, these certificates last for 90 days, while most of the CA offers yearly renewals.
Because of the shorter duration of the certificate, the chances of hackers breaking through the security layer are minimal.
In addition, you need not manually renew the certificate every three months, but the process is automated. If you are a WordPress user or running your website on WordPress, plug-ins available for you to install the SSL, and if you are not a professional you may find it difficult to get it run smoothly on your website due to insecure (mixed content).
You may come across some warnings in the beginning but don't worry about that, you will be guided well to settle all the issues.
These days when the e-commerce business is growing & so many platforms available for opening online stores like Ecwid, Shopify, Shopmatic, it is mandatory to have an SSL certificate to have smooth integrations among all.
Let me explain a little more about this as I am running my online store on Ecwid & it provides integration with Facebook shop, amazon & eBay you need to have a domain with SSL security.
It is a great advantage when you run a store on these platforms as they provide you with SSL automatically even if you have not purchased it from your domain provider like GoDaddy/ HostGator/ Squarespace etc.
What Role Does Norton Authentication Play
If you are using Norton Antivirus to protect your engine whether it is desktop or laptop, you may sometimes find while searching for some content or a website on Google that it has been marked as red, which means it is posing a threat to the user/ consumer/ visitor.
Overall I can say your website is not safe for use.
Now, do I need to mention here again what Google will do to your unsafe website?
It is a very simple rule nowadays, especially for search engines, if you don't follow the guidelines, get ready for penalties.
Being a Norton user for more than 8 years I have formatted my machine only 3 times & I am not facing any issues like getting my machine slows down, refuse to start, etc.
My point is whether it is a machine or a website they need maintenance & I don't find any issues in taking necessary measures or paid services for saving my machines or my data from attacks. Every service provider, even if you are the one, charge for their services.
So why to hesitate from taking some valuable services for your website or your customer's data safety if it helps you grow in this competitive digital world?
How severe is the attack of a virus on your machine or a hacker on your website can be easily understood these days when you hear daily news about data leaks or privacy breaches.
Just as thousands of websites are attacked every day, so as the chances of becoming a victim increases.
But these attacks & leaks can be minimized by just taking some preventive measures for these viruses & cyber attacks by following certain advisories from experts.
If your website is running fine today without any security measures, don't think that it cannot be attacked. You won't even know when the hacker hacked your data & you will just keep wondering what happened.
But why take a chance when it is so easy to register your website for Norton Verification, it takes around 24 to 48 hours for a Norton user to get their website verified without submitting a single document.
Many people with whom I discuss these valuable things think that I am talking like this because I want to sell my services.
But they can mark my words that neither I own Norton or Symantec nor I get anything for these recommendations from any service provider; even I don't demand anything as they are already providing security to my data & that's enough for me.
What I can do is help them choose the best services for the maintenance of their websites & let their websites perform well on the internet.
Nobody asked me to purchase Norton antivirus, nobody came to me to sell any SSL.
It was my decision to keep my website safe & my engines perform well. I wanted to provide a trustworthy website to my visitors.
It was my call to serve my visitors with the best services. Brands are not made in a day, but good services definitely pay you off one day & you will be proud of your website.
Over To You
As you can see, how important an SSL certificate is when it comes to internet security and safe web surfing for all. If you already have a website with HTTP, check out Google’s Search Console Help on the topic.
If you find this topic a great benefit for your business don't forget to leave feedback on this.