Yesterday, Google sent out a notice to website owners warning that they’re going to begin displaying a “NOT SECURE” message to visitors of websites that serve input fields without HTTPS.
Starting October 2017, Chrome (version 62) will show a “NOT SECURE” warning when users enter text in a form on an HTTP page, and for all HTTP pages in Incognito mode.
If you’re interested in digging in, Google provides an in-depth guide to HTTPS, but the important takeaway is that visitors are going to be much less likely to submit a form of any sort if their browser is warning them that the information is not secure.
Setting up your site to use HTTPS is cheaper and easier than ever, and will not only give your visitors peace of mind, but can also improve your search rankings.
If you choose not to address the issue now, be forewarned, Google says “the new warning is part of a long term plan to mark all pages served over HTTP as ‘not secure’.”
As always, if you have any questions or need help securing your site, send us a note and we’d be happy to assist.