Can You Identify a Secure Webpage?

44% of the people we asked could not!

Secure webpages are extremely important.  They create  a safe connection between the website and the web browser so that entered data (like credit card details or a password) is not accessible by unauthorised individuals.

Note the word webpages - a website can have secure and unsecure webpages. 

Here are some of the reasons that people thought a webpage was secure:

• There is a privacy policy at the bottom of the page
• The website is provided by a reputable organisation
• A link to the website has been included in an email

• Just because a link to the website is in an email does not mean it is secure. In fact sending emails with links is one way scam artists can trick you into visiting their web page.  Learn more about the tricks scam artists can use.

What makes a website secure?

A website is considered to be secure when it scrambles (or encrypts) the communications between your computer and the website.

What to look out for is the address the website uses: if it starts with a HTTPS then this tells you that the communications between the computer and the website will be encrypted and no one can intercept this information and see your personal details or credit cards information.

Tip: make sure the website is secured using HTTPS and not just the normal "http://". Additionally most browsers include a padlock symbol which shows you it is secure.

Certificate

For a website to be secure (and have a HTTPS address) it requires a certificate to be validated from a trusted source. Click on the padlock to see the certificate. Most modern browsers will warn you if a site has an invalid certificate. This does not always mean that the site is not trustworthy sometimes these warnings are displayed as a result of a time zone error.

Tip: if your browser says there is a security certificate error double check the site you are using, be extra careful.

Have a look at your bank's website - you should see that the page where you do Internet banking is secure.  However, you may find other pages on their website are unsecured.

Making sure you are on a secure webpage is extremely important when you are sharing any kind of personal information, for example when purchasing online.  Check out our tips for Online Shopping.