2020-05-05

How browsers affect Internet security

More than 138 million websites are secured by SSL certificates, according to a survey conducted by Netcraft this June. They represent a significant percentage of all the websites out there.[1]This is good news for users because SSL encryption minimizes the risk of data loss or theft.

It’s hard to believe that SSL certificates, which are a global standard today, were the exception merely three years ago and were only used by sites handling financial transactions. At present, most websites that allow entering any data employ an SSL protocol. The widespread use of certificates is due to Certificate Authorities and Browser owners.

The concept of a safe Internet
Browsers, in particular, are a determinant of the directions of development and security standards of the Internet. Google has been promoting the “HTTPS Everywhere” policy for years — a secure and encrypted Internet. Currently, more than 68% of users use Google Chrome[2], so it’s no wonder that Google has become the world trendsetter. The company’s initiative began in 2016, when it announced that SSL certificates will improve SEO results. However, the breakthrough came in 2018, when sites without SSL certificates started receiving negative markings. Google’s decision made the number of certificates installed on websites double in a relatively period short time. Increased user awareness as well as the efforts of Certificate Authority and browser owners are making this number grow constantly, making the Internet ever more safe.

[1] In 2020, approximately 400 million active websites were identified. https://hostingtribunal.com/blog/how-many-websites/#gref
[2] Data given based on: https://netmarketshare.com/browser-market-share.aspx