Tag: https

Why you should listen to Google and get a green padlock

With the release of Google Chrome v62 in October 2017 all websites that have a “contact us” form will be marked by Google as Not Secure unless they are using SSL/https

Instead of a warning from Google, you want your visitors to see that your website and any information they provide you is secure.

You can read more about this change in the article Google have provided here: https://security.googleblog.com/2017/04/next-steps-toward-more-connection.html

We want to help you

We can enable SSL for you at no cost (in most cases), however you do need to contact us to request this. Check out our previous post Do you SSL/HTTPS? You should. Find out why

If you are concerned with security and performance, have you seen our Cloud Server offerings? We also offer free domain WHOIS privacy on all supported domain extensions.

Contact us today so we can help to keep you and your customers secure.

3 Ways to keep your website working

internet2Imagine you have had a great new website developed. What can you do to ensure it stays up and running, is not compromised/hacked and continues to keep showing up in Google and other search engines?

Here are 3 simple tips:

1. Keep software and components/plugins up to date

Your website most likely runs on some software, perhaps Joomla, WordPress or something similar. This software is only secure if it is kept up to date. You’ll find keeping your website software up to date fairly simple these days. Simply login to the administration section and update any components that are out of date.

This will possibly reduce the likelihood of your website being compromised by 95% or more.

2. Enable SSL/HTTPS

We have written about this before, but some of our valued clients are still not sure how important it is. Unless your website is running via SSL/HTTPS (green padlock in the browser when you visit) you are at risk of being penalised by search engines. Read more about this here: Do you SSL/HTTPS? You should. Find out why

3. Host with XYZulu Web Hosting

At XYZulu Web Hosting we run up to date server software and even allow you to choose, for example, the version of php you want to run. See more on this here: Does your web host offer multiple versions of php?

The server that hosts your website needs to be kept up to date. Failure to do this could be similar to rarely updating your own computer software which will greatly increase the risk of having information stolen, or worse still, your computer being hijacked and used to attack others.

Don’t take the risk

While you may not give internet and website security the highest priority, taking these 3 simple steps will GREATLY reduce the risk of your website being compromised and/or losing credibility with your own customers.

We are here to help and are ready to answer your questions related to website security, please leave your comments below.

Do you SSL/HTTPS? You should. Find out why

First of all, what even is SSL/HTTPS?

You can read the nitty-gritty over on Wikipedia if you like, but basically SSL/HTTPS refers to a secure connection to a website. You will have seen it being used on many other websites. A (usually) green padlock icon next to the domain name you are visiting (lookup and see it on our site) indicates the website is using SSL/HTTPS and that your connection to the site is secure. It’s becoming more and more common on websites, even those without a login section.

yWhy should you ?

  1. Visitors are assured that they can browse your website with the traffic between their browser and your website being encrypted. ie no one can intercept the connection. This is especially important if your website is one that allows you to manage your website via a login.
  2. Google cares. SSL/HTTPS sites are used as a ranking mechanism by Google. Read the details here: HTTPS as a ranking signal This means that having a SSL/HTTPS website could mean you will be better ranked on Google. Do you need any more reasons not to go SSL/HTTPS?
  3. There are other reasons, but the 2 above are the ones you should care about the most.

How?z

It’s not as complicated as you may think. SSL/HTTPS can be enabled on most websites for free. These days SSL certificates can be obtained for free that are just as strong and secure as those that would have cost hundreds of dollars only a few years ago. If you host with us and you don’t have SSL/HTTPS enabled yet, please contact us and in most cases we will be able to make it happen for you.

If you have any other questions about SSL/HTTPS please let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer them in the comments below.

 

Edit: an update from Google on this subject makes it even more important your website is using SSL/HTTPS asap.

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