Google Chrome To Flag Non-HTTPS

Google recently announced that beginning October 1, 2017, non-HTTPS sites will display as “not secure” in the search results within the Chrome browser.
This update represents a continuation of Google’s efforts to ensure the protection of information shared on websites. Back in January of this year, Google began displaying this notice when people entered credit card and password information.
This is how the new Chrome version will display for HTTP sites:

Google notes it plans to implement this notification for all HTTP sites, whether or not they have forms, password or credit card needed fields on a page.

Explanation from Google

According to the Google Chromium blog:

When users browse Chrome with Incognito mode, they likely have increased expectations of privacy. However, HTTP browsing is not private to others on the network, so in version 62 Chrome will also warn users when visiting an HTTP page in Incognito mode.
Eventually, we plan to show the “Not secure” warning for all HTTP pages, even outside Incognito mode. We will publish updates as we approach future releases, but don’t wait to get started moving to HTTPS! HTTPS is easier and cheaper than ever before, and it enables both the best performance the web offers and powerful new features that are too sensitive for HTTP.

Google already displays the “not secure” notice for all web pages when using Chrome in incognito mode:

Why Does This Matter?

When you submit information to a website, including an email address, credit card number, or other personal data, you want to know it’s secure and can’t be intercepted by a third party.

HTTPS provides security between the data you send and the server of the site requesting it. The SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate provides encryption so this private information cannot be grabbed by hackers.

How To Make Your Site Secure

To secure data submitted by your website visitors, and to avoid the “not secure” notice, you should invest in an SSL certificate for your website.
Namecheap offers a variety of SSL certificates to meet the requirements for different types of websites. These products range in price and features so there’s a solution for every type of website from small businesses to enterprise-level e-commerce sites. The Extended Validation SSL certificates that create the Green Lock in the address bar are offered by Namecheap at competitively low prices – see them here.

Once you’ve purchased your SSL certificate, our Knowledgebase provides more information on installation of SSL certificates.
NOTE: Once you have installed the certificate and you have HTTPS pages you should do a 301 redirect of your HTTP pages to the new ones, so Google will not see them as duplicate content and the right pages show up in the search results.
Namecheap will keep our customers informed of the changes Google requires, to ensure their websites meet any requirements for continued effective marketing and user engagement.