Staying Secure in 2016

Why not make your New Years resolution for 2016 a more secure website?

HTTPS & Google

Google has recently stated that it will index sites listed as HTTPS higher than HTTP sites. This is because it believes in a safer user experience for everyone that browses the web. Having a secure site means that it is harder for criminals to hack into your website and try to do you harm. You can make your site secure by adding an SSL connection which is an encrypted link between a server and a browser. This means that any important information that is used on your browser is protected from unwanted eyes.

Unfortunately many business owners do not know about the significance of the change and this can mean that people who are not aware of the change can be left behind. Although this change may not have an immediate effect on your ranking, it is believed that Google will eventually give heavy weighting to secure sites as a major part of their indexing process.

Here is what Google have to say about HTTPS.

Paging Dr. Anti-Virus

The human body has it’s own self defence when it gets a virus, unfortunately a computer can’t sweat the problem out like we can. There are a variety of ways that your computer can be infected. They are normally hidden in e-mails and infect your computer when you click on them. This is just one way that your computer can be at risk.

Making sure that you have a complete anti-virus package can ensure that you stay protected through the year to come. An anti-virus package usually works as a subscription and last you for a full 12 months or more. It should include the following features.

  • Scan your computer for known virus’s, and take necessary steps to keeping your computer healthy
  • A firewall to prevent unwanted access to your system
  • Webpage tests that tell you whether a site is safe for you to browse
  • Real-time updates to keep you in the know about your computers health
  • Optional extras such as online backup’s and social media protection aren’t always necessary, but can still be helpful

Make sure you do your research on anti-virus to ensure that you get the best protection for your computer.

Here is a online guide to picking the right anti-virus.

What’s The Password?

Your password is the first line of defence. Making sure that it is as secure as possible is a fundamental part of staying safe on the internet.

You should probably think about changing your password to kick off the new year. Updating your password ensures that your password cannot be used by stealthy hacker, who may have a knowledge of your current password. here are some tips on picking a new, secure, password.

  • Pick something memorable, you’re not going to want to change your password every month because you forgot your grandmother’s cat’s original name from it’s original owner (this is a hypothetical idea!)
  • Make sure you mix up the password with uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and a few numbers
  • Do not use ‘password’ as a password!
  • Avoid using variations of the same password in different places, this can make it easy for a hacker gain entry to all of your online accounts at once!

Staying internet safe is becoming more of a necessity as time go’s on. This is because people are finding new ways to try and gain unwanted access to other peoples information. We hope that this short guide will be helpful in ensuring that you are safe in 2016!

From everyone here at ImMedia Creative, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Chris Brown

Chris is a web developer, project manager, pay per click advertiser, public speaker, tea drinker, town crier, copywriter, and all round digital marketing aficionado.

Staying Secure in 2016