Small business owners are just as, if not more, vulnerable to website security hacks as big corporations, and are equally beholden to protect their customer’s data. Often due to limited knowledge of online security and with minimal budgets, small business owners tend not to prioritize protection for their websites, GoDaddy’s latest report on small business website security reveals.
The GoDaddy Security Report found that three in ten small businesses that suffered a cyber breach had to inform customers and clients of the breach, risking consumer relationships and tarnished brand reputation. Moreover, websites that experience cyber breaches are tagged by Google and other search engines as unsafe, thereby lowering their search rankings which further reduces their chances of capturing online traffic.
Getting started addressing website security can begin with —acquiring an SSL Certificate for your website. A Secure Socket Layer (SSL Certificate) provides end-to-end encryption for all information passing from the browser to the server. Websites that have an SSL Certificate enable the browser and Web server to build a secure, encrypted connection for the transmission of information from a website.
A website with an SSL Certificate installed is recognized by Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers as “Secure”. The browser will display HTTPS and the padlock icon in the status bar. On the other hand, a website without an SSL Certificate installed will be flagged by Chrome and other browsers and labeled as “Not Secure”.
How does this work? When the customer on your website shares their personal data, a so-called SSL "handshake" process establishes a secure session, communicating back and forth from the customer’s browser and your site, with the communication taking place discreetly behind the scene without interrupting the customer’s shopping experience. A "padlock" icon that appears on the browser’s status bar and the “https://” (with an “s,” which means “secure”) prefix in the URL are visible indications of a secure session in progress. GoDaddy SSL Certificates support up to 2048-bit encryption and are recognized by the major desktop and mobile browsers on the market today.
For start-ups that require only one domain website protection, GoDaddy Basic SSL Certificate is available in DV, OV and EV SSL Certificates at the current cost of a little over P3,000 a year. Once purchased, installing the SSL Certificate can be done with ease as GoDaddy offers 24/7 guides to help business owners set up their SSL Certificates and support them through the process.
For those who have started to expand their business with multiple websites and subdomains, GoDaddy Managed SSL Certificates can be an ideal set-up as its package installs the certificate, prevents common errors, and automates maintenance. This all-in-one security package allows business owners to put more of their attention towards business development. At around P12,000 a year currently, for a maximum of 5 websites, business owners will not have to worry about checking to see if their SSL Certificate is up to date as the Managed SSL package is a personalized service that completes all the necessary steps from start to finish automatically.
Finally, GoDaddy Wildcard SSL Certificates cover multiple subdomains and allows one to secure the entire website. For example, use a Wildcard SSL to protect *.coolexample.com, which would cover shop.coolexample.com, www.coolexample.com and any other subdomains. At a cost of around P15,000 a year currently, one can have no limit to the number of protected subdomains on their website. If a business owner chooses to be more comprehensive with their website security, the Wildcard SSL Certificate is the best choice especially for those who require several product categories tabs in e-commerce.
An SSL Certificate is only one of the ways to help further protect your website and online presence. Additional ways to help stay vigilant is by: keeping software and plug-ins updated; consistently run malware and vulnerability scans; implement two-factor authentication and regularly backup files and databases.
“Getting an SSL Certificate is a great investment that businesses can make, as they
inspire trust and show visitors that you value not only their business but also their privacy protection. Acquiring a consumer’s trust is something important for all Filipino businesses, large or small,” shares Tina Shieh, Marketing Director for GoDaddy Asia. “Small business owners have to juggle multiple aspects of the business at once and it can be challenging to make website security a priority. Establishing a strong foundation, starting with getting an SSL Certificate for your website, can help show your commitment to providing a more secure experience for your customers.”
To learn more about GoDaddy SSL Certificates visit https://ph.godaddy.com/web-