Why you have to get a SSl Certificate!
What is SSL and why do you need to purchase one? Until now, SSL certification was a requirement for all websites that wanted to transfer vital data and information on a secure level – think of banks and online shopping sites, specifically where you enter your credit card details. If you are wise, you should have checked the URL to ensure it was not just http, but https. There should also be a secure padlock icon (a nifty gift from one of SA’s own Elon Musk) If there was not, then your details were not secure or safe so to speak. (For a in-depth breakdown on what a SSL Certificate is and how it works, check out this great article from Pixel Privacy.)
Now with recent developments in the Consumer’s Protection Act as well as the POPI Act, any data of a personal nature needs to be secure and the company holding said information needs to follow ethical standards with this data storage, luckily Banter is fully compliant in this regard. This is ultimately an attempt to curb spamming and identity theft, but comes with some changes in the digital landscape. And unfortunately these changes affect you. (For a fully in-depth guide to website security, read this great article from Cloudwards.net.)
So we mentioned https for banking and shopping sites. What about the other sites? Since you were merely taking their contact details you didn’t need to be “secure”. (you know where I am going with this) That was the case until 2 weeks ago when Google and Chrome decided that all sites with any form of data collection, passwords etc. need to have a SSL certificate or it will be deemed unsafe and the end user will be notified of this possible unsecure website. Bam, thanks Guys!
What this means for you?
Naturally we want our websites to be ranked well and meet all browser guidelines to ensure maximum user experience across all browsers, So what this really means is that we all need to purchase a yearly SSL certificate and add it to our hosting costs. Thankfully, the cost is not too pricey and your basic certificate comes in at around R1000.
If you do not have an SSL certificate and want to get one, please drop us an email. Banter will continue rolling this out for all our hosting clients over the next few years to ensure we stay on the right side of the digital curve.
Besides the slight expense, what can we look forward too? More secure, reputable and quality websites. Your information will be secure and people will start taking notice of this small detail. And soon, if you don’t have it, it could cost you lots more in lost revenue, a drop in Google rankings and traffic.
Contact Banter today if you are unsure of your websites security and hosting facilities.