Your web browser can connect to your website using either HTTP or HTTPS. If you are connecting to your website using HTTP, you will get a warning that your website is not secure because HTTP is an insecure connection that does not provide an encrypted connection.

Not only does this make your website seem illegitimate, but it can also become a major issue for you, especially if you are collecting user data. That means you should not be performing any data transactions, including allowing users to login or collecting payment information, if you are using an HTTP connection.

By collecting user data with an HTTP connection, you are putting the user’s data at risk to potential hackers. You could be liable if that information data is stolen and used in a compromising way.

How do you fix it?

Step 1) Make sure you have an SSL Certificate

In order to remove the not secure warning, you need to use an HTTPS connection. The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have an SSL certificate. You can easily do this by typing out HTTPS:// before your website’s URL (Example: HTTPS://brewerit.com). If you are brought to your website and the message is gone, great – you have an SSL certificate installed on your website. You can skip to step 3 if you already have an SSL certificate.

If you weren’t brought to your website, and instead received an error message that the site can’t be reached, you do not have an SSL certificate. We’ll explain how to get one in step 2.

Step 2) Install an SSL Certificate

You have multiple options when it comes to installing an SSL certificate on your website. Here we’ll list what we recommend along with some of the most popular options.

Option 1) Have Brewer I.T. host your website

If you’re looking for an easy solution, we recommend switching your website hosting to us. With Brewer I.T. website hosting, you automatically receive an SSL certificate. The SSL is automatically applied when you switch your hosting to us. We’ll also make sure the HTTP version of your website redirects to the HTTPS version, so your visitors will always have a secure connection to your website. You can browse our website hosting & maintenance plans here.

Option 2) Change your domain nameservers to Cloudflare

If you’re happy with your current hosting and don’t wish to switch hosting providers, we recommend switching your domain nameservers to Cloudflare. Cloudflare provides a free SSL certificate for your website when you change your nameservers to them. You can find more specific instructions on how to do that here.

Option 3) Purchase an SSL certificate from your domain registrar.

This is the most expensive option, and we do not recommend it, but it is an option if you are looking for convenience. Most domain registrars offer SSL certificates, but they are only available for an annual fee. Some registrars charge as much as $70 per year for an SSL certificate. If you’re currently doing this, we recommend switching to one of the cheaper options previously listed.

Step 3) Redirect the HTTP version of your site to the HTTPS version

Now that you have your SSL certificate, we need to redirect the HTTP version of your website to the HTTPS version. Even with an SSL certificate, it’s still possible to reach the HTTP version of your website. This is why we need to redirect the HTTP version to the HTTPS version. However, with Brewer I.T. hosting, this is done automatically.

Once you’ve installed your SSL certificate, we recommend testing to make sure your website isn’t already set to redirect HTTP to HTTPS. You can easily test this by typing out HTTP:// before your website’s domain (Example: HTTP://brewerit.com). If you are brought to the secure, HTTPS version, your website is redirecting the HTTP version to the HTTPS version. If you are not, you’ll need to set up the redirect.

This can be accomplished many different ways. Some are very technical, and some not as much. The best way to accomplish this varies depending on your website’s setup. For more specific instructions, we recommend checking out this article.

Additional Help

If you require additional help with this, or anything else to do with your website, contact us!