Around 31st January, the new version of Google Chrome, known as ‘Chrome 56’ was released. The update was created with one main goal in mind – to create warnings for users entering insecure websites. When Google first announced that this update would be occurring, the initial reaction was positive. However, even though Chrome will have a new layer of security to protect users from security threats, it doesn’t mean that entering a website will always be completely safe.
Google has announced that Chrome will flag up any non-https websites with a message stating ‘not secure’, when having to enter personal details such as credit cards and passwords. It has been rumoured that, eventually, Chrome will be flagging up all http websites as non-secure. Users worldwide are expecting a higher level of security as the rate of online hacking is increasing.
What does this mean for WordPress users?
If you are a user of WordPress for your website or blog, your page will also be flagged up as not secure, due to you having to enter a password on your login page. One of the huge disadvantages of this update is that visitors to your WordPress site will also be informed of this message. Visitors may believe that your site has other security issues, apart from it not being https. This could be highly misleading and could lose you customers.
What steps to take if your site isn’t https
If your site isn’t https, you will need to act quickly to ensure visitors aren’t put off by security messages. One method would be to start looking for support documentation on how to set up SSL. There are also many online guides which will give you a bit of insight on how to set up SSL for your WordPress site. If you need any assistance, please feel to contact us and we will be happy to help.
If you have friends or colleagues who are unaware of the changes to Chrome and have their own WordPress sites, it may be worth passing on the message to ensure that all necessary procedures are put in place.
