If you’re an active internet user, chances are you’ve encountered a ‘Not Secure’ message when you try to access a website. And if you didn’t know better, you’ve probably clicked away from these sites.
Avoiding an insecure website that flashes this warning is one of the most basic ways to protect yourself online. But if you plan to make your own website, you might wonder what a ‘Not Secure’ message actually means and how it affects your site visitors. Most of all, you’ll want to know how to fix it.
In this article, you will learn all about web security and how to protect your site from possible cyber threats.
What is website security?
Website security is a system that protects a website from cyber threats. Setting up website security ranges from encryption, firewalls, backups, and monitoring tools that protect a website and its users from the following cyber threats.
- Malware. These are malicious or harmful software made to harm a computer system or steal data. It can include viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other harmful programs.
- Hacking. This is a method of accessing computer systems or websites without permission. Hackers can take advantage of security flaws to steal data, install malware, or disrupt website operations.
- Data breaches. A data breach happens when unauthorized individuals are trying to access or steal sensitive data. Data breaches can damage a website’s reputation and lead to financial losses.
Protecting yourself from malicious attacks is also very important whether you’re a website owner, an online shopper, or a casual browser. With an average of 2,220 cyberattacks daily, you must stay vigilant with your web security.
It’s only natural that you want to keep your website and all its information safe to avoid losing money, getting your identity stolen or weakening your credibility and customer trust.
Why is my website showing a ‘Not Secure’ message?
A website is not secure when it doesn’t have enough protection against cyber threats. The lack of a valid SSL certificate, outdated software, or issues in the code puts you and your site visitors at risk. These vulnerabilities include using outdated WordPress plugins and themes, which may have security issues that hackers can exploit.
Websites use either Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or HTTP Secure (HTTPS) to communicate with web browsers. HTTP sends data in plain text, which is vulnerable to interception, while HTTPS encrypts data using an SSL/TLS certificate before transmission. This certificate ensures sensitive information exchanged between your browser and the website’s server remains secure from attackers.
When you visit an HTTPS-enabled site, your browser verifies the SSL/TLS certificate, establishing a secure, encrypted connection for safe data transmission. But with an HTTP, you’ll see a ‘Not Secure’ message to warn users that your website is unsafe.
How do you know if your website is secure?
We’ve established what an insecure site is. Now, you should know how to spot one.
Look for the HTTPS in the website URL and lock icon in the browser address bar. When you find it, the website has an SSL certificate installed, and its server shares encrypted data with its users.
However, if your website only has an HTTP instead of an HTTPS, your website doesn’t have a secure connection, and you need to get a secure version of your website.
You can also verify the website’s security by checking for security seals from trusted cybersecurity companies. Moreover, use the browser bar’s color as an indicator for website security. If it’s green, it’s most likely secure. On the other hand, if it’s red or gray, there’s a chance that it may be unsecure.
Most common business risks of having an insecure website
Search engines will flag your site as a threat
An SSL certificate informs search engines that your website meets the standard security measures. If your website doesn’t have the certificate, the site visitor will see a ‘Not Secure’ warning on their browser’s address bar.
You lose site visitors to competitors
Like you, your website visitors also try to protect themselves from cybersecurity threats. They won’t even see what you offer; they’ll quickly avoid unprotected websites when the ‘Not Secure’ warning appears. Instead, they’ll go to a secure website to avoid risk.
Sensitive information gets stolen
HTTP sites are vulnerable to threats since they don’t have SSL certificates to encrypt their data. This attracts hackers and malicious third parties to steal your and your customer’s personal details.
This is more dangerous when you own an eCommerce store and deal with your customers’ money and credit card information. Customers making purchases don’t want to give their information on a non-secure website.
Customers get easily scammed
Since hackers and malicious third parties can access sensitive data from your website, it’s easy for hackers to impersonate your business and steal sensitive information from your site visitors.
You lose customer trust
A lack of security can negatively affect your brand’s reputation and customer loyalty, which results in long-term revenue loss and less trust. Once your customers and site visitors realize your website is untrustworthy, they’ll go to other businesses to do their transactions. Customers will label your business as a risk and avoid dealing with you, especially those who have fallen victim to scams that impersonate your company.
6 ways to protect your site
A secure website is essential to website owners because it attracts more visitors. While changing from an HTTP website to its secure version usually fixes the problem, you can increase your site’s security with a few extra steps.
Secure your website using the following tips.
Install an SSL certificate
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a code that encrypts the connection between your web browser and a web server while authenticating your website’s identity.
With an SSL certificate installed, you can keep your internet connections secure and prevent cyber criminals from reading or modifying any information shared within the website.
Update your site constantly
Outdated software can open your website to more risks. Malicious entities continue to devise different ways to steal your information and attack your website.
If you don’t keep up with new ways to protect your site, you’ll constantly fall victim to many cyberattacks. Updating your site will help you with the following:
- Patch security flaws
- Add new features
- Protect data
- Improve performance
- Enable compatibility
Check your web server
Your website server stores all of the important data from your website and restricts access from unauthorized personnel. Check your web server’s security protocols. Your web hosting provider should have a firewall for your server and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) protection. Otherwise, you need to switch to a more reliable web hosting provider.
Back up your website’s files
Your website’s protective measures shouldn’t stop at preventing an attack. You also need to be prepared against a successful cyberattack. You don’t want to lose all your important files in one hit.
Constantly back up your site’s data or invest in an automatic website backup service.
Invest in other site security tools and services
You can use more security tools and services to ensure your site’s highest level of protection. Our SiteLock scans your website for potential malware, removes malicious content, and fixes risks and vulnerabilities.
Read also: Stay cyber safe on the go with a small business cyber security solution
Test your security measures
Systematically review your protective measures to find any holes in your safety protocol. You can also conduct tests at certain intervals to check for any risks. Your tools and services may provide security, but it’s always better to manually inspect any oversights.
Additionally, use strong, unique passwords for all website administration accounts. You may also website users about basic security measures like recognizing phishing attempts and avoiding suspicious links.
Submit your website to Google Search Console
After observing the security measures above, you may try to submit your website to Google Search Console for more security and assurance. This helps Google know you have a secure website and can help improve your website’s visibility in search results. Here’s how you can do it.
- Go to Google Search Console and sign in with your Google account.
- Click “Add Property” and enter your website’s URL.
- Verify your website ownership by uploading an HTML file to your website’s root directory or adding an HTML tag to the site’s homepage.
Tighten your website security
A ‘Not Secure’ warning on your website not only deters visitors but also puts you and your customers at risk. To tighten your website security, utilize SSL encryption, regularly update your website, back up your website’s files, and invest in other site security tools and services. By taking these proactive measures, you can fortify your website’s defenses and safeguard your business and your users from cyber threats.
