To HTTPS or Not To HTTPS, that is the question

Each time you log into any website that uses a plain HTTP connection, your data transmissions are not safe from prying eyes. The secure way to connect is via HTTPS.  That extra "S" in the URL means you have a secure connection and that any data traveling via that connection to or from the web server is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).  To be able to create an SSL connection a web server requires an SSL Certificate.

For any of our e-commerce solutions where sensitive data may be captured or transmitted, we strongly suggest purchasing a certificate and at least encrypting the portions of the site where the security is needed.

For sites that don't have any reason to encrypt anything, no one logs in thus there is nothing to protect the extra cost, overhead and lack of caching that comes from HTTPS really doesn't make any sense.