Google is flagging websites that don't have a SSL Certificate

It's true. Google is flagging all websites that don't have a SSL Certificate (Security Sockets Layer) which previously was only required for websites that capture personal information, such as with e-commerce sites. But at the end of 2017, Google started placing a little informational icon displaying "Not Secure" next to the URL of all flagged sites. Once a SSL Certificate is applied to a website, the informational icon is replaced with a padlock icon, and your website switches from a "http (unsecured) to an "https" (secured) site protected from cybercriminals, which in turn protects visitors to your website from being infected with dangerous malware like Trojans and Cryptoware.

A SSL Certificate is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser to ensure that all data passed between the web server and browser remains private. If you don’t have a SSL Certificate, a secure connection cannot be established, which means your information will not be digitally connected to a cryptographic key.

How much does a SSL Certificate cost? It depends on the hosting company. Some hosting companies charge $260+ per year, whereas other hosting companies like Inmotion Hosting offer a free basic SSL Certificate for informational-type websites, however websites that deal with sensitive information such as e-commerce sites are required to purchase a more powerful SSL Certificate.

I write clean code that passes security inspections performed by hosting companies, qualifying your website for a SSL Certificate.

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