There are two ways to connect your server to the user’s computer who wants to view your page:
- Simply via the HTTP protocol
- More securely via an encrypted HTTPS connection
An encrypted connection enhances the security
of your users, who are generally far more vulnerable than servers. For this reason, Google has long been encouraging companies to use encryption. Since 2014, it has
even been prioritising
encrypted websites in its search results
.
Previously, Chrome only indicated the presence of HTTPS with a subtle icon in the browser’s address bar; from October, a more prominent warning will appear when data is entered. This new feature will be available in Chrome version 62. Google had already announced more prominent warnings for unsecured connections back in January 2017.
When entering information on a page, a „Not Secure“ warning
will pop up, currently in a subtle grey. Google had originally considered using red text. The warning will appear on all HTTP pages.
The „Not Secure“
warning will appear in two situations
: if the user enters any data on the page, and if they open the page in incognito mode.
Why is this important? Because Chrome is the most widely used browser in the world.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Browser Market Share
How encryption works
In practice, you purchase an encryption key. The use of this key is verified by an SSL certificate
(Secure Sockets Layer). This certificate is issued by several global authorities, such as Thawte, Symantec, GeoTrust, or RapidSSL.
There are three levels of encryption
, depending on the complexity of the cipher. You can easily check whether the website you are viewing has a certificate: there will be a padlock icon
in the address bar.
How can you get an SSL certificate for free?
There is a common misconception that SSL certificates are expensive. This is not true. You can obtain an SSL key for free from Let’s Encrypt.
Let’s Encrypt is an automated certificate authority. They offer encryption keys for free, funded by donors, including leading innovators such as Chrome, Mozilla, Facebook and Cisco. The aim is to enable even small businesses to secure their websites.
Most browsers trust their certificates. Let’s Encrypt currently serves over 40 million websites worldwide.