If you manage a web site, you must have heard about going to HTTPS … well, now it’s officilal: you must use HTTPS before July 2018 !
What is HTTPS
For those who don’t know HTTPS protocol is a secure version of HTTP protocol used to transport web pages. It displays a padlock next to the address in the web a browser, on some sites, in particular merchant web sites.
To use the HTTPS protocol, you must get a SSL certificate for your URL.
Google and HTTPS
Since 2014, Google advises to use HTTPS, and states that we will get slightly increased position with its search engine with a HTTPS web site rather than a HTTP web site.
Moreover, from July 2018, in the new Google web browser, Chrome 68, a message Not Secure will be displayed, on HTTP web site:
Moving to HTTPS
As a reminder, Google Chrome is the web browser most used in the world: it is important not to have a warning message displayed.
Note that other web browsers are on the same page (pun intended): Mozilla has already added warning messages in Firefox web browser, when typing information (e.g. password) on HTTP web sites (hence not secure).
Google states in its February 8th article:
- Over 68% of Chrome traffic on both Android and Windows is now protected
- Over 78% of Chrome traffic on both Chrome OS and Mac is now protected
- 81 of the top 100 sites on the web use HTTPS by default
You must “move”your web site to HTTPS !
Most web hosters give, in all their offers, a SSL certificate to use HTTPS.
Otherwise, if you host your web site your self, Let’s Encrypt gives away free certificates … that’s the certificates used by most web hosters (OVH, o2switch, …).
However, there will be extra operations to performe on your website: typically, you must change all links (images, style sheets, javascript, internal links) to avoid mixed contents … that would prompt an alert message.
Operations to perform to move to HTTS on a WordPress web site are described on our technical blog.
If you need help do not hesitate to contact us: we will be pleased to assist you.
Happy move to HTTPS !