What Is HTTPS And Why You Will Need It

Since the 1980s, website URLs have always had HTTP in front of the domain name. It’s the underlying protocol that is used on the web. Its specific function is to define the way that messages are transmitted and formatted when web servers and browsers talk to each other. Like most things in the technology world, its use is slowly being phased out.

Secure Website Transmissions

You’ve probably seen the HTTPS protocol used on most e-commerce sites. The reason that they don’t use HTTP is due to its “plain text” messaging function. Any third-party that intercepts a message from the HTTP protocol can see every section of information that’s being transmitted. Obviously, that type of transmission is unacceptable when personal information such as credit card numbers is being sent from one server to another.

HTTPS brings security to the transmission. The conversation that’s going on between a web server and a person’s browser is encrypted when the HTTPS protocol is in place. Only the web server and browser have the ability to decrypt the message. This ensures that crucial information relating to a person’s finances is kept safe from prying eyes.

How Does It Operate?

To decipher an encrypted message that is sent between a browser and website server when HTTPS is used, an SSL/TLS certificate must be purchased. A key and the certificate are used during the conversation to decrypt any transmissions. Both the server and the browser talk to each other before the decryption begins. They decide which type of encryption is going to be used for the messages and which encryption keys are going to unlock the encryption code. A person knows that this communication is occurring between a browser and a server as HTTPS is at the beginning of the URL and a tiny padlock icon is also visible in the browser. This ensures a user that all communication is being conducted on a secure website.

Some browsers like Google Chrome are even indicating to users that a site is secure when HTTPS is located at the beginning of the URL. They actually have the word “Secure” placed by the tiny padlock icon. In some cases, the browser will also indicate to a user that a site is not secure. This would obviously make a user feel uneasy about using that website, even though there’s actually nothing wrong. A business could lose a lot of revenue if that happens to their website.

The Benefits

In 2014, Google decided to make a change to its algorithm that would benefit website owners who use the HTTPS protocol. While it is only one part of the algorithm, websites that include HTTPS before their domain name will receive a boost in the search engine results pages. This small addition to a website could mean the difference between ranking higher than a competitor. That can add up to some big bucks when a website is trying to gain new customers in a highly competitive market.

Using HTTPS on any type of site, not just e-commerce, is a definite way to thwart malicious attacks. When all of the messages from a web server to a browser are encrypted, it makes it that much more difficult to eavesdrop or initiate hacking attempts. By keeping a secure website, it reduces the chances of any lawsuits or penalties that could come about due to a user’s personal information being hacked, collected and sold on the dark web.

When a person sees a site that is using HTTPS, it gives them a sense of security. They know that there is less likely to be phishing attempts or other unwanted behavior. The news has already seen an increase surrounding cyber attacks, which makes people more leery about using the internet. It just makes sense that a website will gain the trust of users when the HTTPS protocol is used.

Another benefit of using HTTPS is that it can increase the performance of a website. When used with some web hosting companies that offer HTTP/2 technology, page load times will increase. This technology was developed for the internet that we have today. There’s much more complex information being sent between web servers and browsers such as CSS stylesheets, JavaScript code and live chat. To take advantage of this technology, a website owner will need to find a web hosting company that offers HTTP/2.

Why HTTPS Is Needed

It’s probably already apparent why a website owner would want to include the HTTPS protocol with their domain name.

– It increases a sense of security
– All transmissions are encrypted
– Reduces the ability to attack transmissions
– Boosts search engine optimization

Website owners should strongly consider utilizing the HTTPS protocol when they host their websites on the internet. It not only helps protect their business but the interest of their users. Contact us today if you would like to secure your website.