What are SSL, TLS, and HTTPS?
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is how web browsers and servers communicate with each other to display web pages and handle the interactivity that makes the web work.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), an older name for the broader term TLS (Transport Layer Security), adds an encryption layer on top of HTTP. A shorthand name, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), exists to describe the combination of HTTP and TLS/SSL.
Why Is SSL Important?
There are a few reasons to want your insurance agency website to include Whole-Site SSL:
In 2014, Google announced that it now uses HTTPS (SSL) as a ranking signal, meaning websites that use HTTPS on every page can get a slight ranking boost from Google.
HTTPS not only adds security—it also adds privacy. Tech-savvy people recognize this and may prefer to click on https links over http links.
What's Included
We take care of every aspect of your SSL certificate, including issuing, renewing and monitoring. You don't have to do anything to get:
- HTTPS on every page of your website
- A potential Google ranking boost
- Improved privacy & security for your website visitors
- More information about website leads
Banyan Theory software engineers and our automated systems constantly monitor for:
- Certificate expiration
- New security vulnerabilities (in SSL software, cipher suites, etc.)
- Changes in SSL/TLS best practices (key bit length, cipher suites, etc.)
HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)
HSTS adds a layer of protection for your website visitors. In a nutshell, when a person visits your website, our servers will tell that person's browser:
for the next X days, this is guaranteed to be an HTTPS-only website, so next time you come here, be sure to use HTTPS.
For the next X days, whenever this person visits your website, their browser will automatically use the secure (https://) version of the URL without even attempting to connect to our servers over a non-secure (http://) connection, which protects that person from having their connections hijacked.
If you have a website from Banyan Theory, you can choose the duration of the HTTPS guarantee, or you can disable it if you do not want this level of protection. (A longer duration is more secure than a shorter duration.)