The Future is Encrypted

Google is leading the charge to a more secure web. The tech giant is taking steps in the way it handles non-secure websites in both search rankings and for its over 1 billion Google Chrome users. In search results, non-secure websites will now take a back seat to those that are secured with trusted SSL certificates. Texas Creative has answered the call by retroactively adding free SSL encryption to all of our Drupal websites.

What is SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a web technology that creates an encrypted connection between the server and the browser to secure the data while in transit. Sites equipped with SSL signify this with a lock icon in the address bar. Until recently, you’ve likely only encountered this on your bank’s website or any site that is collecting personal information like credit card numbers.

Why SSL Now?

The likelihood of your non-secure data falling into the wrongs hands today is much higher than it was 5 years ago. For this reason, industry leaders like Google, Facebook and Cisco are aligning to make encryption the norm instead of the exception.

Starting with Chrome 56, Google has taken things a step further by changing the way the address bar appears on non-secure sites with password or credit card entry fields. In the near future they will expand this to include all non-secure sites effectively shaming them with a warning triangle indicator coupled with the words “Not secure” in red.

The good news is encrypting sites with SSL has never been easier or more affordable. Let’s Encrypt is a certificate authority providing free SSL while eliminating the complex installation procedures for domain-validated certificates. Let’s Encrypt was formed by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), a non-profit with an impressive list of sponsors.

Doing Our Part

Texas Creative now includes SSL encryption on all Drupal sites, hosted on our servers, free of charge. We’ve even gone back and set up SSL on every hosted Drupal site built in the last 5 years, free of charge. This added service is a tremendous benefit for our clients in terms of SEO and data security. Texas Creative remains at the forefront of the crusade towards a more secure web experience for all.