How to Secure Websites?
While visiting websites, you might have noticed a warning in the search bar that says, “not secure”, you’re no stranger to feeling caution upon landing the website.
You might ask yourself questions like “what does ‘not secure’ website mean?” or “what information isn’t secure?” These are both valid questions and something that you should be aware of before entering a website that has the dreaded warning in the search bar.
You can read more about how HTTP/HTTPS for the security of a website in our previous article here: HTTP vs. HTTPS.
Look at how you can secure your website for site visitors and customers.
1. Install SSL Certificate:
To make your HTTP site secure, you’ll need to install an SSL certificate on your website. When you install an SSL certificate which provides a secure version of your website to your site visitors.
⦁ Your browser will connect to a website and request the server identity.
⦁ The server will respond by sending the browser the SSL certificate.
⦁ The browser will determine if the SSL certificate is trustworthy.
⦁ If the SSL certificate is trustworthy, it will send the server a message.
⦁ The server will respond with a digitally signed document that permits to start a session that is encrypted by the trusted SSL certificate.
⦁ The browser and server share encrypted data.
2. Internal and External Links Uses HTTPS:
If you want both your internal and external site links to continue to operate effectively, you’ll want to ensure that you change them all to HTTPS as well. This might sound tedious, but it’s crucial to ensure that HTTPS helps secure your website.
3. Google Search Console Verification:
After installing your SSL certificate and ensuring that your site links use HTTPS, you’ll want to verify both the HTTP and HTTPS versions of your site in Google Search Console.
In doing so, you’ll also would like to be sure that your preferred HTTP domain is forcefully redirected to the HTTPS version. This will ensure that your website visitors are served with the secure version of your website.
4. Ensuring HTTP URLS Redirection:
If you mention your website on any third-party sites that you have complete control over, you’ll want to be sure that you change mentions of HTTP to HTTPS. You’ll also want to create 301 redirects on your website to make sure your HTTP URLs reference the HTTPS version.
5. Updating XML Sitemap:
Lastly, you’ll want to update your XML sitemap to reference the HTTPS versions of your site pages. Your sitemap acts as a road map for site visitors and Google alike to help them easily navigate your website. To ensure that Google re-crawls and indexes your website with new links, you’ll want to submit your updated sitemap to Google Search Console.
If you want to learn more about securing your website for SEO purposes, feel free to contact Clarity Technologies Group and Dotman Tech online or give us a call at 800-354-4160!
Clarity is proud to have been providing Secure Mobile Application and Web Development Services to North America for many years. With the addition of our Dotman Tech division and an extensive team of developers, we will continue to surpass expectations.
Call Clarity at 800-354-4160 today or email us at [email protected] . We are partnered internationally around the globe and we are open seven days a week 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM EST/EDT. http://45.33.92.219/and https://dotmantech.com .
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