SolveYourProblem Article Series: Internet Privacy
Is My Privacy Vulnerable To Attack?

How To Tell If A WebSite Is Secure?

Everything you do comes with some element of risk, no matter how slight. The same thing applies to the Internet. The great thing about the Internet is that it is a convenient, easily accessible source of information and it also makes shopping and other tasks like bill pay a breeze. However, with the increasing popularity of these activities, that means fraud and identity theft also rise. All the security experts say to never send your personal information over cyberspace, but how will you be able to take advantage of online shopping and other activities if you don’t? You have to ensure that the web site you are on is legitimate and secure.

Most web sites do not have security measures in place because they are displaying information for the general public. However, when you have to relay sensitive or private information, something called SSL technology should be utilized. If the web site is legitimate, this SSL element will be incorporated into it. Your Internet browser likely has a feature built in that recognizes this SSL technology and lets you know if the web site’s security measures are active.

So what is SSL anyway? It stands for Secure Socket Layer and it is a type of encryption method that is the standard in most industries. This encryption technique protects any information you send over the Internet and scrambles it, which makes it hard for hackers to interpret. When your information reaches its cyber destination, it is unscrambled into a usable format. Most Internet browsers like Internet Explorer, Netscape and Mozilla Firefox can recognize this SSL technology.

One of the ways you can tell that a web site is secured is by checking the lower right hand corner of your computer screen display. If the web site you are visiting is secure, you will see an icon that is shaped like a lock. If you are curious about what that security entails, you can double click on the icon to read more information. Be sure when you are reading the detailed security information that the web site is lists matches the same one you are visiting. There have been security issues with disreputable websites hiding their real web site address and masking their identity so that they could steal information. If the web site addresses do not match each other, do not enter any private information.

If you are on a web site, which requires you to enter personal information, be sure to look for that lock icon first. The site is secure if it is in a locked position. If the lock icon looks open or unlocked, do not enter any information because the web site is not secure. Entering personal information like credit card numbers is risky at that time.

Another indication that the web site you are visiting is secure is a slight change in the address location bar at the top of your screen. Most web addresses start with an http:// and this means the information displayed is general and for public consumption. When you are asked to enter any personal information, if the web site is secure and legitimate, you will see the web address start with an https://. This indicates that the site is protected.

Secure, trusted websites will also likely have a special SSL certificate displayed from one of several trusted vendors like Verisign, SSL.com or GeoTrust. Websites have to prove their security measures in order to earn these seals. Scammers have a hard time duplicating these seals because they can chance almost daily. While not the ultimate sign of web site security, this certificate definitely reinforces the site’s legitimacy.

For the most part, many web sites are on the up and up. However, if you ever get that hinky feeling that something just isn’t quite what it seems about a web site you are visiting, then you are probably right! Be sure to check for all of the security measures listed above before proceeding any further.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

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