Why Is My Website Not Secure, And What To Do About
Website security is not at all a little or laughing matter – for the websites sake or the businesses well being. Every month and every day that passes, the different online threats are continuing to grow and get more severe. Browsers like Chrome, FireFox, Safari, and Edge are continually evolving and getting much stricter about and focused on protecting users – which is awesome! If you’ve ever visited your company’s own website and seen a big notice of the dreaded “Not Secure” message in the address bar or anywhere on the site, it can feel like an absolute punch in the gut.
For any small businesses and nonprofits, the “Not Secure” warnings are more than just an annoyance – it’s likely a major trust-breaker with your audience and prospective customers. Visitors see the warning and instantly think twice about continuing to engage with your site and business. For many users, myself included, they’ll leave an unsecure site before even giving you a chance. That equals lost leads, lost donations, lost opportunities, lost trust – nothing good.
When you see security error notices on your site, your first question is likely “why is my website not secure?” The good news is that the solution to the problem is often quite fixable with the right steps and help. At Full Scope Creative, we manage website hosting and security for our clients so that they don’t have to deal with any of the panic or stress that these issues bring. Let’s look at the most common causes of these non secure errors, what they mean, and how to keep your website protected.
The #1 Culprit – SSL Certificates
The most common reason we’ve seen for websites showing the dreaded “Not Secure” warning is an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) issue. Having an SSL certificate on a website is the first line of defense or security. An SSL is what adds the little padlock icon in the browsers address bar. In basic terms the SSL certificate makes sure that any data passed between website visitors and the website is encrypted.
If an SSL certificate isn’t installed for the site, if it is installed incorrectly, or if the certificate has expired, most browsers will block your website or show the dreaded warning. We’ve had plenty of small businesses and non profits come to us in a frightened panic when their SSL expired only to find out it was because their old hosting provider never renewed it or installed it correctly.
There are various levels of technical settings that need to be in place for an SSL certificate to be installed accurately and working properly. At Full Scope Creative, all of our website hosting plans include an SSL certificate that we install, manage, and monitor. You’ll never need to worry about setting a calendar reminder to renew your SSL certificate either as we make sure it’s always renewed, installed correctly, and always running.
Outdated or Broken WordPress Installations
Another common culprit in the “why is my website not secure” puzzle is the WordPress content management system itself. We love WordPress and all that it can do. WordPress is a great CMS for any small business or non profit – it powers a huge percentage of websites worldwide. But like anything that reaches that level of popularity, it’s also a big target – and in this case it’s a huge target for hackers. If your WordPress system, plugins, or themes are out-dated or no longer supported, it can cause errors and open the door to a number of security threats.
For many small businesses and nonprofits, they simply don’t have the time to stay on top of WordPress updates and don’t know how to fix the errors if an update breaks their site. That’s why in our Security Essentials Hosting plan, we handle WordPress system updates for you. Our clients can rest easy knowing their site is always kept up to date and secure without having to cross their fingers every time they click “Update.”
Was Your Site Hacked?
Sometimes the “Not Secure” notice means something far more serious—a hacked website. If your site has been compromised, it may contain malicious code, spammy links, or even redirect visitors to unsafe websites.
Some common signs your website may have been hacked include:
- Your homepage or internal pages show content you never added.
- Visitors report being redirected to scammy or spammy websites.
- Strange files appear on your hosting account or database.
- Your site is blacklisted by Google or flagged in search results.
This can get quite technical very quickly. For many small businesses and nonprofits, it’s simply overwhelming. That’s why at Full Scope Creative, if a client reports that their site may have been hacked, we step in immediately. By keeping regular backups of the sites we host, we can restore the site quickly if needed. For clients on our Security Plus Hosting or Security Max Hosting plans, we also use Astra Security to stop hacks in their tracks with a firewall and malware protection.
Mixed Content Warnings
Even when there is an SSL certificate installed and installed correctly, your website might still show as “Not Secure” because of mixed content. This happens when your website is loading securely through HTTPS, but something like images, scripts, or style sheets are loading through plain HTTP.
It’s kind of like locking the front door to your house, but leaving a side window wide open. Browsers flag this as unsafe. At Full Scope Creative, we scan for and correct mixed content issues so your website displays as fully secure across every page and file.
Expired SSL Certificates
It’s worth mentioning SSL again, because sometimes the problem isn’t that one was never installed—but that it expired. SSL certificates need to be renewed on time, and if they’re not, your site instantly looks insecure. Many hosting providers put that responsibility on you, the client.
We’ve had small business owners and nonprofits come to us after losing critical leads and donations because their SSL expired without warning. That’s why at Full Scope Creative, every SSL we provide is monitored and automatically renewed. Our clients don’t have to worry about expiration dates—it’s handled.
Weak or Compromised Passwords
A very simple but often overlooked answer to “why is my website not secure” comes down to weak passwords. Hackers commonly use brute force attacks and guess thousands or millions of username and password combinations per second until they get in. If your site uses something like “password1234” or “CompanyName2025,” you are essentially handing them the keys to your site.
We encourage strong password practices for every site we manage. For clients with our Astra firewall (included in Security Plus and Max Hosting), brute force attacks are stopped before they ever reach the login page.
Outdated Plugins and Themes
Plugins and themes are great and one of the real strengths of WOrdPress. They add great depth and levels of functionality and design features to your website. But if they’re not updated regularly, they become nothing but vulnerabilities. By being open source, hackers know exactly how to exploit outdated plugins, and if those weaknesses aren’t patched, your site is at risk.
One of the benefits of hosting with Full Scope Creative is that we monitor for outdated or unsafe plugins, apply updates, and recommend safer alternatives. This way, your site can run smoothly and securely.
Choosing the Right Hosting Provider
One of the biggest factors in the security of your website is who you choose to host with. Many low-cost or overseas providers don’t prioritize or include things like backups, security monitoring, or even basic customer support. If something goes wrong, you could be stuck waiting on hold for hours or left to find a solution on your own.
At Full Scope Creative, we provide three levels of hosting designed to meet different security needs:
- Security Essentials Hosting ($575/year): SSL certificate, dedicated IP, WordPress updates, weekly backups, and 24/7 security monitoring.
- Security Plus Hosting ($1,150/year): Everything in Essentials, plus Astra Security for firewall and malware protection—ideal for e-commerce or sites handling sensitive data.
- Security Max Hosting ($1,725/year): Everything in Plus, plus ADA compliance with AudioEye—perfect for nonprofits or organizations needing strong security and accessibility combined.
Real-World Example
Not long ago, a nonprofit came to us in full panic because their website displayed a giant “Not Secure” warning. Donors were calling, concerned about the safety of entering their credit card information. When we looked closer, we discovered their SSL had expired weeks earlier and their host had no backup plan in place.
We moved them to our Security Plus Hosting plan, installed a fresh SSL, restored their most recent files, and set up Astra to prevent further attacks. Within 24 hours, their site was back online, secure, and donor-ready. More importantly, their team had peace of mind knowing we were handling it moving forward.
Why Work with Full Scope Creative for Website Hosting
If you’ve been asking yourself “why is my website not secure,” the answer could be one of many things: SSL issues, outdated WordPress installs, hacked files, or even something as simple as a weak password. But here’s the key—you don’t need to solve it alone.
At Full Scope Creative, we specialize in hosting and security solutions for small businesses and nonprofits. We handle the SSL certificates, perform regular backups, apply updates, monitor for hacks, and provide real people you can call right here in Green Bay, WI.
Website security isn’t at all an option item any more – it’s the foundation of your online presence and marketing. Don’t let an unnecessary “Not Secure” warning scare away your clients, donors, customers or potential sales. With the right hosting partner, you’ll have confidence knowing your website is always protected and secure.
👉 Ready to take the worry out of your website security? Check out our hosting plans!