S01 - Website does not feature HTTPS Security

Alert Properties Alert Description
Alert Name Website does not feature HTTPS security
Code S01
Description Website is not secured enough for users, and is vulnerable to data leaks.
Level Error

This alert gets triggered when your website is not enabled with the HTTPS secure protocol.

What is HTTPS protocol?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is an internet communication protocol that protects the integrity and confidentiality of data between the user’s computer and the site. Users expect a secure and private online experience when using a website.

Web search engines like Google encourage users to adopt HTTPS in order to secure their connections to the website, regardless of the nature of the website content.

Data sent using HTTPS is secured via Transport Layer Security protocol (TLS), which provides three key layers of protection:

  • Encryption: This layer encrypts exchanged data, securing it from eavesdroppers. This implies that during or after a user’s visit to a website, nobody can “listen” to the conversations, track activities across multiple pages, or steal the user’s personal information.
  • Data integrity: This layer ensures that data cannot be modified or corrupted during transfer, intentionally or otherwise, without being detected.
  • Authentication: This layer ensures that the site users can communicate with the intended website only, protecting them from man-in-the-middle attacks. This is essential to building audience trust for website owners, which automatically translates to other business benefits.

To know more about HTTPS protocol, check out Google webmasters article titled “Secure your site with HTTPS.”

How to make the website secure?

To create a secure website connection, an SSL certificate is critical. This certificate can be generated and obtained through a Certification Authority (CA).

You can get a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt, a popular CA that provides certificates in the interest of creating a safer Internet: https://letsencrypt.org/. For more information on SSL, check this article: Get an SSL certificate for your domain.

Advantages of using HTTPS over SEO

  • It may lead to a major increase in search engine rankings.
  • It will boost traffic to your website, owing to increased trust.
  • It will increase user conversion rates for the intended audience segment.
  • It will encrypt and secure user data during their website visits.