How to Fix a ‘Not Secure’ Website: A Comprehensive Guide to Enhance Your Website Security
If you’ve noticed the “Not Secure” warning next to your website’s URL in Google Chrome or other modern browsers, you’re likely facing a serious security issue that needs attention. In today’s digital landscape, website security is crucial for protecting your visitors, your data, and your brand’s reputation. Browsers like Google Chrome have begun marking websites without HTTPS as “Not Secure,” which can negatively impact user trust, SEO rankings, and even conversion rates.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about fixing the “Not Secure” warning on your website, ensuring that your site is safe, secure, and trusted by both visitors and search engines.
What Does ‘Not Secure’ Mean?
The “Not Secure” warning typically appears when a website does not use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). Instead, it uses HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), which does not encrypt data between the server and the user’s browser. This lack of encryption can expose sensitive information, such as login credentials, payment details, and personal data, to potential hackers or cybercriminals.
Also Read- What is Ubersuggest?
Websites with HTTPS use an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to encrypt the data. If your website has this certificate installed, the browser will show a green padlock next to the URL, signifying that the connection is secure.
Why Is ‘Not Secure’ Bad for Your Website?
Having a website marked as “Not Secure” comes with several risks, including:
Loss of User Trust: Visitors may feel unsafe providing personal information or making purchases on your website.
SEO Impact: Google uses HTTPS as a ranking factor, so your website may be penalized in search rankings if it is not secured with HTTPS.
Compliance Issues: If you handle sensitive data, such as customer information or payment details, using HTTP may violate security standards (e.g., GDPR, PCI-DSS).
Increased Vulnerability: Without encryption, hackers can intercept data transmitted between your site and its users, compromising sensitive information.
How to Fix a ‘Not Secure’ Website: Step-by-Step Guide
1- Obtain an SSL Certificate
The first and most important step in fixing the “Not Secure” warning is to obtain an SSL certificate. This certificate encrypts data transferred between the user’s browser and your website, ensuring that any sensitive information is kept safe.
There are various types of SSL certificates, including:
Domain Validated (DV): The most basic type of certificate, verifying that the applicant owns the domain.
Organization Validated (OV): Provides enhanced security and confirms that the business is legitimate.
Extended Validation (EV): Provides the highest level of security and trust, typically used by e-commerce websites and large businesses.
You can get an SSL certificate from various providers, including:
Let’s Encrypt: A free, automated, and open-source certificate authority.
Comodo: A well-known SSL provider with a variety of options.
GoDaddy: Offers SSL certificates with additional services and support.
Cloudflare: Provides a free SSL certificate as part of their security services.
Most hosting providers offer SSL certificates as part of their hosting packages or provide an easy way to install them through their control panel.
2- Install the SSL Certificate
Once you’ve obtained an SSL certificate, the next step is to install it on your website’s server. Here’s a general overview of the installation process:
Automatic Installation via Hosting Provider: Many web hosting services, like Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator, offer one-click SSL installation. You can usually install SSL from your hosting control panel (cPanel or equivalent).
Manual Installation: If your hosting provider doesn’t support one-click SSL installation, you will need to follow the instructions provided by your SSL certificate provider. This typically involves downloading certificate files and configuring your server’s settings.
If you’re unsure how to install the SSL certificate, your hosting provider’s support team should be able to assist you.
3- Update Your Website’s URLs to HTTPS
After installing the SSL certificate, your website should now support HTTPS. However, you will need to update your website’s URLs from HTTP to HTTPS in order to complete the transition.
For WordPress:
Go to Settings → General in your WordPress dashboard.
Update the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to https:// instead of http://.
Save the changes.
For Other Websites:
You will need to manually update your website’s internal links, media URLs, and any references to the HTTP version of your site in your content or code.
Ensure that all links in your sitemap, RSS feeds, and other SEO elements point to the HTTPS version of your URLs.
4- Redirect HTTP Traffic to HTTPS
To ensure that visitors are automatically redirected to the HTTPS version of your website, you should set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS. This will ensure that any traffic to your old HTTP pages is securely redirected to the new HTTPS pages.
To set up redirects:
For Apache Servers (via .htaccess file):
Add the following code to your .htaccess file:
bash
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Edit
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
For NGINX Servers:
Add the following lines to your server block:
bash
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Edit
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com;
return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;
}
This ensures that any visitor who accesses the HTTP version of your website is automatically redirected to the secure HTTPS version.
5- Update Your Content and External Links
After making the switch to HTTPS, ensure that all your internal content (such as images, scripts, and CSS files) are loaded via HTTPS. Mixed content (i.e., content loaded over HTTP while the page itself is HTTPS) can cause the “Not Secure” warning to appear.
Update Internal Links: Go through your website and update any hardcoded HTTP links to HTTPS. This includes links to pages, images, and assets.
Update External Links: If possible, update any external links pointing to your HTTP pages to use HTTPS instead.
Check for Mixed Content: Use a tool like Why No Padlock? or SSL Labs’ SSL Test to check for any mixed content on your site. This will help you identify and fix any content that is being loaded over HTTP instead of HTTPS.
6- Update Google Search Console and Analytics
Once your site is fully switched to HTTPS, ensure that you update your settings in Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Google Search Console: Add your HTTPS site as a new property in Google Search Console. You should also update the sitemap and robots.txt file to reflect the HTTPS URLs.
Google Analytics: Update the property settings in Google Analytics to track the HTTPS version of your site.
7- Test Your Website
Finally, after all changes have been made, test your website to ensure everything is functioning correctly:
Check the HTTPS Padlock: Open your website in a browser and ensure the green padlock icon appears next to the URL, indicating a secure connection.
Test for Mixed Content: Use tools like Why No Padlock? or SSL Labs to ensure there are no mixed content issues.
SEO Check: Run an SEO audit using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to ensure there are no broken links or SEO issues related to the switch.
Also Read- What is GTmetrix?
Conclusion
Fixing a “Not Secure” website is essential for both user trust and SEO performance. By obtaining and installing an SSL certificate, updating your website’s URLs to HTTPS, and ensuring proper redirects and content updates, you can secure your website and eliminate the “Not Secure” warning. A secure website not only helps protect your visitors’ data but also improves your search engine rankings and your website’s credibility.
Implementing HTTPS is no longer just an option—it’s a necessity. Start today and ensure that your website is secure, reliable, and trusted by both visitors and search engines alike.