{"id":437,"date":"2020-12-10T11:13:24","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T17:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.scalahosting.com\/?p=437"},"modified":"2023-03-16T03:47:03","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T09:47:03","slug":"google-likes-https","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/google-likes-https\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Google Likes HTTPS Websites?"},"content":{"rendered":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with speed, security is one of the most pressing issues for webmasters worldwide. There are just so many things to consider and dangers are lurking round the corner &#8211; <\/span><b>DDoS attacks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>phishing scams<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>viruses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>malware threats<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s time to protect yourself and today we will learn one of the ways &#8211; <\/span><b>ensuring HTTPS encryption.<\/b>\n<h2 id=\"what\"><b>What is HTTPS?<\/b><\/h2>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS.jpg\" alt=\"Why Google Likes HTTPS Websites?, What is HTTPS?\" width=\"1280\" height=\"872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-768x523.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 361px) 660px, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 910px, 1140px\" \/> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HTTPS stands for <\/span><b>Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and represents one of the primary protocols responsible for transferring data between server and user browser.\u00a0<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re shopping online or registering for a newsletter &#8211; <\/span><b>important personal details are being transmitted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. While the information travels back and forth. It\u2019s left vulnerable for unauthorised access.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not when you apply HTTPS though?<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HTTPS utilizes an <\/span><b>encryption protocol<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to ensure proper data protection. That is done with the help of<\/span><b> two separate keys that work asymmetrically<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when communicating between user and server.<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Public key<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; available to anyone that interacts with the system. Encrypts user data.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Private key<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; available to the site owner only. Decrypts the data encrypted by the public key.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 20px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"why\"><b>Why is HTTPS important?<\/b><\/h2>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting with the security aspect, proper HTTPS connection brings us plenty of benefits. We ensure <\/span><b>higher security for visitor\u2019s data<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which in turn makes the users more comfortable trusting our business.\u00a0<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But that\u2019s not even half of it &#8211; turns out <\/span><b>search engines like HTTPS websites just as much<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few years ago, Google hinted to webmasters that it might be useful to secure their sites with HTTPS. It was more of a recommendation than an actual rule, but clear enough to indicate a change is coming.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These days, those guidelines seem more important than ever. <\/span><b>HTTPS connection is definitely one of Google\u2019s ranking signals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so in terms of SEO &#8211; it\u2019s slowly becoming a must-have feat.<\/span>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 20px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"how\"><b>How to secure your website with HTTPS?<\/b><\/h2>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-60395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-2.jpg\" alt=\"Why Google Likes HTTPS Websites?, How to secure your website with HTTPS?\" width=\"1280\" height=\"801\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-2.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-2-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-2-1024x641.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Google-likes-HTTPS-2-768x481.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 361px) 660px, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 910px, 1140px\" \/> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answer to all your HTTPS needs is called an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/ssl-certificates.html\"><b>SSL certificate<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. SSL stands for <\/span><b>Secure Socket Layer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and represents the shielded wall between your server and the user browser on the other side. Even if a hacker gains access to that sensitive information, they will only get a <\/span><b>scrambled piece of code<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> without the keys to unlock it.<\/span> <b>There are many types of SSL certificates, but the most essential include:<\/b>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Free SSL<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; a no-cost, automated encryption certificate. It validates data on a domain level, which is still enough if your website doesn\u2019t collect any important client data.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Private SSL<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; a more advanced solution that ensures higher level of validation. Displays a padlock to site visitors, confirming the page they landed is secure enough.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Wildcard SSL<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; private SSLs provide protection for your domain, but sometimes webmasters need to protect the subdomains associated with that name as well. That\u2019s when you get a wildcard SSL.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Extended Validation SSL<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; the highest form of SSL certification. Issued only to established businesses after numerous legal checks. Typically recognizable by the green bar and padlock in the URL address field.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 20px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"ssl\"><b>ScalaHosting SSL Certificates<\/b><\/h2>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ScalaHosting partners with industry leaders <\/span><b>Let\u2019s Encrypt <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to bring free SSL solutions to any client that wants to have one.\u00a0<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, we are glad to recommend the highly-secure private and EV SSLs provided by <\/span><b>GeoTrust <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>Symantec<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You can <\/span><b>find more information and prices<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> here.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for activating an SSL with ScalaHosting, you can either check our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/getting-started-with-ssl-certificates\/\"><b>detailed guide on SSL certificates<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><b>contact our tech support team 24\/7<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help you with the steps.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 20px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can see, both site visitors and search engines simply love HTTPS websites. They inspire trust in your brand and guarantee that anyone visiting your pages can relax, knowing there are no risks of data leakage.\u00a0<\/span> <b>Contact ScalaHosting for your SSL options today!<\/b>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 20px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"faq\"><b>FAQ<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Q: What does it mean when a website has HTTPS?<\/b><\/h3>\n<b>A:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If the website you landed on <\/span><b>opens with an HTTPS prefix<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this is a sure sign that all information and cookies you share with the website will be under constant encryption. This is especially important for <\/span><b>online shops<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>pages that require user registration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n<h3><b>Q: How can I check if a website is safe?<\/b><\/h3>\n<b>A:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There are several things to look for when double-checking if a website is under HTTPS encryption. For starters, if the URL is currently with an HTTP prefix, <\/span><b>add an \u201cS\u201d at the end<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and see if you can still see the page. Additionally, you can<\/span><b> look for a security padlock in the address bar<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and even<\/span><b> investigate the organization<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the seal registration.<\/span>\n<h3><b>Q: Can an HTTPS website get hacked?<\/b><\/h3>\n<b>A: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Short answer to this question is &#8211; <\/span><b>very unlikely<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Still, you have to consider there are multiple points of breach when it comes to a hosted website. An SSL certificate is just <\/span><b>one of many essential security precautions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you need to take to ensure maximum protection for all visitors.<\/span>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\"><br \/>\n    {<br \/>\n      \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",<br \/>\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",<br \/>\n      \"mainEntity\": [{<br \/>\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",<br \/>\n        \"name\": \"What does it mean when a website has HTTPS?\",<br \/>\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": {<br \/>\n          \"@type\": \"Answer\",<br \/>\n          \"text\": \"If the website you landed on opens with an HTTPS prefix, this is a sure sign that all information and cookies you share with the website will be under constant encryption. 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Additionally, you can look for a security padlock in the address bar and even investigate the organization through the seal registration.\"<br \/>\n        }<br \/>\n      }, {<br \/>\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",<br \/>\n        \"name\": \"Can an HTTPS website get hacked?\",<br \/>\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": {<br \/>\n          \"@type\": \"Answer\",<br \/>\n          \"text\": \"Short answer to this question is - very unlikely. Still, you have to consider there are multiple points of breach when it comes to a hosted website. An SSL certificate is just one of many essential security precautions you need to take to ensure maximum protection for all visitors.\"<br \/>\n        }<br \/>\n      }]<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p><\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Along with speed, security is one of the most pressing issues for webmasters worldwide. There are just so many things &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":60381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Along with speed, security is one of the most pressing issues for webmasters worldwide. There are just so many things to consider and dangers are lurking round the corner - DDoS attacks, phishing scams, viruses, malware threats. 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