Technology is fast-moving in this Internet era. It seems to have taken a while, though, for the Internet to shift from HTTP to HTTPS. This year may finally be the year that HTTP ends, though.

HTTP and HTTPS Differences

There are a few key differences between the two. Hypertext transfer protocol is an application that focuses on how information over the Internet is brought to the user, without regard to how the data is transferred. HTTP is faster because it sends less data without remembering previous web sessions, but it is also less secure because the transfer data is not encrypted.

On the other hand, hypertext transfer protocol secure is like HTTP, but the data being transferred is sent with transport layer security. This protocol is known as a secure sockets layer or SSL. The SSL layer encrypts the data, producing a secure connection between web browsers and Web servers.

How Does HTTPS Work?

Google has had the largest impact on HTTPS, especially as they began ranking websites that run on HTTPS higher in the search ranking algorithms. In fact, just this year, Google began marking any website that uses the insecure HTTP connection to transmit personal information as insecure. When a user visits an insecure website, a warning appears in the address bar of the browser calling their attention to the insecurity of the site.

Luckily, businesses have begun using HTTPS more often now, thanks to similar loading times on their pages and the security it offers. HTTPS has also become less expensive, a big reason small to medium-sized businesses originally shied away from using it.

Using HTTPS helps business websites and transactions be more secure. It also keeps Google from dinging the website, scaring away potential customers. Users are protected from many online attacks and malware by HTTPS. Users tend to trust businesses more when they have an HTTPS heading, especially in this world where so much commerce is done online. A large percentage of users will check the different companies’ websites to compare and validate them, and are more likely to use the website with the HTTPS seal of approval in the browser bar than one that does not have it.

Businesses need to remember, though, that simply using HTTPS is not going to prevent their website from being hacked. It also cannot stop phishing emails from being sent. For websites with any form of confidential information, though, an HTTPS login is imperative to use for security as the first wall of protection.

If you’re interested in adding this security to your website, contact RedWave Technology Group for a free consultation.