In January, Google announced they would display a “not secure” warning in the Chrome browser for websites that gather sensitive information like credit card numbers and are not on a secure server. This was their effort to help cut down on identity theft online and protect consumers. They also started using the SSL Certificate as a factor in their search algorithm.

Most information entered on websites is protected after it is entered on the site because databases are usually required to be secure. Secure Socket Layer Certificates, or SSL Certificates, take this protection one step further. They provide an extra layer of security on the website as information is being entered on a website. This helps prevent hackers from stealing information before it is submitted to the database.

The Google Chromium blog announced in April that the search giant was going to take this update one step further and display a “not secure warning” in Chrome on any website that is not on a secure server and that gathers any visitor information via forms. This includes anything from their name to their phone number. This warning will appear in the address bar on the page and will explicitly say that a site is Not Secure as seen in the example below.

 

If you have any forms on your website and have not implemented an SSL certificate yet, it’s time to be proactive before you are affected by this update! 220 Marketing takes care of the purchase and implementation of SSL certificates so you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Our certificates are affordable, and this can help prevent a drop in leads when October comes around.

Not only will the certificate help you provide a great user experience, it could also help with your SEO rankings! Google has made it clear this is a vital matter, and it’s not something that can be avoided any longer.

Call us today 619-758-9696 x2 or fill out this quick form to find out how to make your site more secure!