Google has been very proactive when it comes to creating a safer web environment for users. In 2014 they announced that websites with a secure HTTPS URL would receive a slight boost in search rankings. Then, is December of 2015 Google increased its favor for secure sites by tweaking their indexing system to look first for URLs containing the HTTPS encryption.
This week, Google takes another step forward in making a safer, more secure experience for the users of their Chrome web browser.
We’ve all ran into this message at some point in browsing the web. “Your connection is not private”. As annoying as it can be, it’s an effective tool to prevent malicious attacks on users. A non-secured connection can leave your device, as well as your personal information, open to exploits that can wreak a variety of unwanted havoc.
According to the Google Security Blog, over half of the sites visited with the Chrome desktop browser are now delivered of an HTTPS connection. But Google wants to make the web even more secure.
Beginning in January 2017 with the roll out of Chrome 56, sites that are not on a secure connection will be “explicitly” labeled as “not secure”. Subsequent releases of Chrome will continue to fine-tune the non-secure branding inside incognito windows as well.
While just a few years ago having a secured HTTPS website was somewhat costly as well as troublesome, most hosts now offer inexpensive, simple add-ons to make your site more secure. Google has also helped to lend a hand by giving us a how-to guide for making your website secure by enabling HTTPS. You can find out more by following the link below.
Google: Encrypting Data in Transit
The Google security team is constantly testing new ways to make the internet a safer place. And for that we say “kudos”.