Tip 9: Understanding Website Security MeasuresAre there some basic website security measures that internet users can take advantage of? Whilst the average web user now has incredibly high levels of knowledge and skills, there are still many of us to whom the technological advancement is something of a mystery. In other words, most people aged over 19!! The level of knowledge a user needs to be better protected isn't actually all that great - so it seems worth covering in a some detail in the hope of raising awareness just a little further. It seems that these days, most people are away of the potential threat posed by phishing emails and their associated websites. However, there are other sites that put personal information at risk - some deliberately, others not. These sites may be older, perhaps using ageing technology, or simply not up to the job of modern day payment processing. Either way, if their website security measures are not up to standard, users run a higher risk of information loss and therefore, identity theft. Of course as technology is advancing at such an alarming pace these days, it is difficult for anyone to keep really up to date. But, the basics still work... Firstly, if you plan to make some form of online financial transaction, ensure that the site is actually secure. One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply look at the URL or web address when you enter the secure part of the site. A normal web address will look like this at the start - http://etc - whereas a site using higher level technology will look like - https://etc That extra 's' represents the nod to security. Sites with this 's' generally use Secure Sockets Layer - also known as SSL - which is a form of encryption. Simply, this makes life much tougher for hackers. It is also possible to check whether a site is using some form of security measure by looking for a small yellow lock displayed. This will be shown in the bottom right corner of the screen and is there to display that some form of encryption is in in use. Another well known website security measure for transactions is VeriSign. A Verisign Secured logo will appear on screen. verisign now provide a large percentage of major websites with their security technology and is very well regarded. If however, you want to be sure that a website really does use Verisign, it is possible to
check here
|