The internet is one of the most important inventions of our time. It is a landscape full of possibilities and potential. It is also known as the storehouse of information wherein people are interconnected not just by lines and codes, but by ideas and subjects brought by our own personal conscious and even to a certain extent, the unconscious. Sometimes known as the epithet “network of networks”, it is a set of computers connected together giving form to one single entity. Almost everyone has an internet connection these days, and it is even difficult to imagine that there was a time this was considered as a luxury. Now, even the common man has access to what once was a secret program of the United States Army. Know more about the history of the internet by clicking here.
The Internet & Web Security
Through the rise of globalization, people tend to see the internet as some sort of invisible object. It is there, but we never really notice it until it is not functioning properly. It acts like a second skin, a new arm or leg. It has become so ingrained in the psyche of human consciousness that we even forget how powerful or essential it could be.
The internet is the largest, most accessible, and the easiest to search library. Its body of knowledge is even larger than the perished and famed Library of Alexandria. Through the Internet, we have connected people that never would have met in the first place. Cultures and traditions are being discovered and shared to the world. This has led to a sort of new cultural phenomenon wherein we try to merge an existing culture with a new or unfamiliar one, integrating one or the other. It is a rather slow phenomenon but people are now trying to live with the trend and the internet greatly helps with it.
Globalization also opened people’s minds to new ideas and inventions. People from all over the world discuss and enjoy meaningful conversations (and arguments) without having to leave their homes. Businesses pop out like crazy across the internet landscape and some are even making successful millions out of it. Anything is possible with the net these days, and there are many taking advantage of it.
However, one of the most sensitive topics that the internet tackles today is web security. There was a time when people were not so vigilant about sharing information on the internet. Some share their personal details like birthdays, addresses and phone numbers. Others even share their social security number, tax identification number, or even credit card number. This has led to many people experiencing fraud, robbery, or even identity theft. However, this did not blow up proportions up until recently, when Facebook was accused of selling millions of personal information for monetary gain and political advancement. It was said that it all started with a personality quiz app which users can answer with informed consent. This was legal until they used the app to access the friends of those who gave informed consent along with other personal data. They were arguably used in trying to sway public opinion and they even tried to cover things like voting systems. Mark Zuckerberg was forced to face the United States Congress and even the heads of the European Union. The downfall that followed was almost a huge event, from investors deciding to withdraw millions of assets from Facebook to sparking debates about tighter security while browsing the internet. This event was credited for waking the masses’ consciousness about the severity of internet security and improved the public’s vigilance as to what to share online. Ultimately, this has led to many people thinking: What would be an indication that a website is secure? How can you be sure that the website you are accessing is not trying to steal your personal information? Learn more all about the Facebook incident here: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/facebook-data-privacy-scandal-a-cheat-sheet/.
SEO & Web Security
Now how does this affect your search engine optimization? Well, if the success of your website is decided by the number of clicks it garners, then having an ‘’unsecured’’ website can affect your traffic. People these days are becoming more vigilant when it comes to internet navigation. Using search engines like Google can help them detect if a website is secure or not. It practically shows beside the link of the website you are trying to access. It will also show an extension https:// which indicates that the site has an extra layer of protection when it comes to internet malware and hackers. A more secure version of this one has the symbol hsts:// and it is far more sophisticated than the previous iteration. Take note that having an extra layer of security is a positive sign for users which shows that your website can be trusted.
However, there may be minor setbacks in changing your website’s domain. For one, it might lower website traffic which could be detrimental for your site – although this can be easily solved with a “redirect code.” Chrome, too, has built a program which lets users access secure sites with minimum delay.
Studies show that unsecured websites may perform slower than secure websites. Also, statistics will tell you that people tend to leave a site if it loads or buffers for more than 3 seconds. This makes you lose a lot of business opportunities – from losing sales to tainting word of mouth. There is even a movement across the internet landscape which informs users before accessing potentially harmful websites. However, this is also covered by the clause of informed consent and people are educated that these tiny bits of data sent back to the net are not going to harm them.
Internet security is something people did not take seriously before but one major incident changed it all. Internet attacks still happen and many websites are not immune to that. Even physical damage to web servers could potentially affect a lot of data. As practitioners of SEO, we make sure to be vigilant as well with regards to internet trends and social climates as these changes very fast. We improvise and adapt to the environment as much as we could so that we deliver the kind of service you deserve.