2018 was a major year for internet security and online privacy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for good reasons.

While cyber-attacks are common, 2018 saw an influx of large-scale data breaches , where personal information and bank details from millions of accounts were leaked, funds were stolen from banks, and social media account information was made public.

It was because of these massive breaches that consumers finally became aware of just how vulnerable they are online. Privacy risks and cyber-security were always pushed to the backburner in favour of convenience and simple design.

Yet, with consumer attitudes changing, businesses are expected to go above and beyond to come up with effective privacy plans.

An Effective Privacy Plan

Let’s take a basic example.

If you have a website for your restaurant that also offers online food order placement, you’ll need general information, in addition to the customer’s credit card details. As such, you’ll need to consider the legal obligations your business has, what your responsibilities are when collecting data.

Additionally, you’ll need to be aware of any data that’s collected by third-party websites such as analytics and advertising companies. If they are collecting data on customers, your privacy policy will need to make this detail clear.

You’ll also want to make sure that your website only collects the data it needs. Having extra information at hand not only increases risk, but it also adds to the burden you’ll be under if your website does get hacked.

The Importance of an SSL Certificate

Here’s an example of a site that has an SSL certificate:

¯ The HTTPS is an automatic tell that your browser and server are safe

The padlock means that your browser is secure. If there’s no padlock, it denotes that there is no SSL or security for your online activity.

Using something known as Public Key Cryptography , the SSL uses a mathematical scheme that uses two keys, one public key and one private key, both of which are randomly generated. The public key is used by your server and is for the public domain. But the private key belongs to each user. If a hacker were to intercept it, they wouldn’t be able to decrypt the randomly generated code.

So if you see it from a user’s standpoint, the SSL certificate offers you a private key that ensures that any communication between you and the server is safe.

By using an SSL certificate, you’ll not only add an extra layer of security to your system, but this action will also help build trust between you and your customers, improve your conversion rate, keep your data secure, and improve your rankings for Google’s algorithm.

Improving Your Online Security

Despite the many discussions on online security, a lot of online business owners are still clueless about what having a website entails.

And that’s where we come in.

Offering services for web design and seo services in Toronto, Ontario ; Customer Contact Solutions can help improve your site’s ranking while satisfying consumer demand.

For more information, schedule a call . And be sure to ask us all the details you want to learn about your website’s security.