Archives - HTTPS


Look for the signs of a fake banking website

Online banking is supposed to be safe and convenient. Unfortunately, plenty of imposter sites are out there trying to steal your information. No legitimate bank will ask for your card number or PIN during the sign-in process, although it might ask you to answer security questions or confirm via a separate trusted device. Make sure […]

Force an HTTPS connection via browser extensions

HTTPS is secure and HTTP is not. You never want to shop, view your bank account or do anything similarly sensitive without an HTTPS connection. You can broaden HTTPS protections through browser extensions like HTTPS Everywhere, which encrypt the connections between your browser and the many common advertising and analytics sites that are loaded on […]

Check for evidence that your information is being encrypted

To prevent attackers from stealing your personal information, online submissions should be encrypted so that the appropriate recipient can only read it. Many sites use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure (https). A lock icon in the bottom right corner of the window indicates that your information will be encrypted. Some sites […]

Use HTTPS wherever available

HTTPS is fundamentally more secure than HTTP. Look for a padlock and/or green-colored certificate holder name in your web browser to ensure that your connection to the site is encrypted.

Hover over links before clicking them

Links can’t always be trusted to go where they say they do. To avoid falling into a trap, hover your mouse over a link you’re not sure of to see where it actually leads. If you’re on a mobile device, you can usually do a light tap and hold on a link to preview where […]

Never buy anything from a site with only “HTTP” in its address

There are many e-commerce sites out there that you should never buy from. The clearest sign that you might be at risk is if the site’s address bar lacks the “HTTPS” prefix or padlock icon signifying the presence of a security certificate. Any site that’s just plain HTTP is not a safe place to perform […]