What does that little green padlock mean?



Website security and you

By Graham McMonigle

Many small businesses ignore website security on the basis that they think they are too small to bother with hacking. This is a similar mind set to small fish thinking they are too small to be caught in a drift net. The automated tools that hackers use to comb the net for unsecured sites aren’t discriminating on size; they are looking for loopholes.

A security breach can mean a lot of unpleasant things happening to a site. Imagine what would happen to a physical storefront if the till stole customer’s credit card information, or followed them home and started rifling through their things?

It would be the death knell for that shop, just as a security breach often can be for a small business operating online. Savvy customers look for the green padlock emblem on their browser that shows the presence of an HTTPS, or secured browsing enablement, before they enter any details at all.

You’d think this would be second nature to any business promoting itself as a security company, but a worrying number of Scottish security firms don’t have HTTPS enabled status, even on the sales sections of their websites.

At VWS we have instructed our web developers to integrate our secure Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform to provide peace of mind to any new customer which sets up a sales enquiry.

With our proven track record in physical security and NACOSS Gold approved designers and engineers working to protect and defend businesses and public spaces across Scotland, we believe the time and resource directed to making our online presence secure is a worthwhile investment.

And it is not just the peace of mind the security provides new customers; we want to remind them that security is a front of mind consideration in every aspect of what we do, just as it can be also for their businesses.

Graham McMonigle is a Director at VWS and can be contacted on 01236 727233 or email grahamm@vwsip.co.uk.