How HTTPS Site Security Is Making the Internet Safer

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It is a universally accepted coding system on which the internet is built. The HTTPS extension has gained popularity in the modern cyber security world. Statistics from security researcher Scott Helme indicate that more than half (51%) of the top one million visited websites redirect to HTTPS which is the secure version of HTTP.  HTTPS protocol enables for a safe transfer of files, data and information between a web browser and the website that you are connecting to. The letter S in HTTPS stands for Secure. To have the HTTPS extension to your website, you need an SSL- Secure Socket Layer Certificate installed onto the website. 

In a world where cybercrimes have become so rampant, websites should undertake measures to secure their websites from hackers and other online intruders. To achieve this, website owners should install an SSL certificate onto their websites. There are several SSL certificates that website owners and online e-commerce stores can choose from.  We recommend a comodo multi-domain SSL certificate if your website has multiple domains and subdomains.

Google further requires all websites to have an SSL certificate. This trend has made the internet a secure space to work from. This article explains the concept of HTTPS and how it is making the internet safer.

HTTPS Identifies Imposter Websites

Hackers have become clever and use all means to make sure that they achieve what they want to achieve. They will try to create a website that almost resembles the official websites. User may unknowingly visit such a website. This is risky to the user. The reason is that the website might require some vital information that will be used as an advantage to the hacker. The outcome may not be pleasing. 

An SSL certificate makes sure that the website a user is visiting is actually the one that the user intended to visit. Someone with an ill-motive pretending to be a website will be revealed. This is what HTTPS does. And the result is an internet space without hackers creating fake websites.

HTTPS prevents the interception of Data, Files and All Information That Is Being Transmitted Online

The amount of information that is transferred across the internet today is too large. This information is at a very high risk of being intercepted by a cybercriminal. The HTTPS protocol plays a vital role in preventing the interception of all information that is transferred via the internet.

SSL certificate will encrypt the information transferred online. Encryption refers to the act of converting the information into an encrypted manner. The secret code is known as cipher text. A hacker who by any chance, might get access to the information will not be able to understand the meaning.

Come to think of it. What if a hacker intercepted your username and password in the course of logging into an online payment account? How great will be the damage before you discover it? Fortunately for you, HTTPS will stop all these through the use of an SSL certificate.

HTTPS Prevents Any Modification That Could Be Done To Your Information

Because the encrypted information goes in an unreadable form, it cannot be altered. Imagine a hacker getting hold of your email and completely rewrites it so that it has a totally different meaning from what it was intended. Such an instance might ruin your reputation and your career, especially if the business was a professional one. HTTPS does not allow this to happen. It denies a hacker any opportunity to edit or alter the information in the course of its transmission.

HTTPS Ensures For the Privacy of an Internet User

HTTPS plays the role of encrypting traffic between the browser of a user and the server. This prevents instances of eavesdropping on what a user is doing on the internet. As such, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) of a user or a government will not be able to track what a user is doing on the internet. This gives a user a sense of confidentiality when using the internet. An eavesdropper will only be able to see the browsing history of the user but not what the user exactly searched on the website.

How A User Can Establish Whether He/she is operating on a Safe Website 

For a user to know whether the website that he is visiting is secure, the user should check the web address of the website. An HTTPS website has a padlock just before the URL link and will start with HTTPS. An unsecured website does not have the padlock and starts with HTTP.

Users should also be cautious with the kind of passwords that they use. We highly advise against users making use of similar passwords on multiple accounts. This is because a hacker can retrieve the password from an insecure website and efficiently use the password to log into a website protected with an SSL certificate. Your security on the internet should start with you.

HTTPS Protects Online Payments

The internet is a fast-growing space. Most businesses and E-commerce stores have enabled online payment options. And there are great risks that come with this. Hackers can get hold of essential user information such as credit card information. They will then use the information to replace their fraudulent activities. They might withdraw funds from the online paying accounts and leave their victims affected greatly. 

The online businesses and e-commerce stores that have online payment options have to be equipped with HTTPS protocol. All information that is exchanged between users and online businesses should be protected at all. And HTTPS protocol does that just perfectly. It will ensure that crucial information, such as credit card details is never revealed to cyber attackers. 

Final Thoughts

Hackers are always on the lookout for any loopholes that they might use to gain entry into websites. The internet now holds so many websites today, and this has accelerated the cases of online insecurities. The effects that come with internet hacks can be very devastating, leaving the victims in serious crisis. Cyber security experts have always put up efforts to help in stopping such attacks. And part of the war was won on the inception of the HTTPS protocol. HTTPS has ever since played a vital role in an attempt to keep the internet space safe. This article explains how HTTPS keeps the internet safe.