It’s hard to know if you are being careful online with so much cybercrime affecting the population. Here are five tips for recognising a safe website:
Be alert
To avoid landing on a fake or dodgy website, you should first be familiar with what happens when you reach one of these. So long as your browser is up to date, it will usually warn you if a site looks unsafe. If you see these warnings, it is recommended to close the window and not proceed to the site.
Check if the site has an SSL certificate
Most legitimate websites will have an SSL, or secure sockets layer, which is a digital certificate that proves the site is encrypted and will protect your data. Companies must prove who they are before gaining this certificate, so this is a good way to check if the website is safe to browse.
Opt for a website security checker
If in doubt, website security checks can allow you to identify a website’s safety. These will disclose if the site has been previously compromised or has any unsafe elements. More in-depth website checkers, like www.etempa.co.uk/website-security-checks/, can provide a bespoke security check for your own website.
Make sure the website is genuine
Scammers are so smart that they can create entire websites designed to fool you. These fake sites might build pages almost identical to a known brand’s, and lure you in before stealing your data or money.
Read the site’s privacy statement
Most websites will provide links to their policies, so be sure to read through the privacy policy and find out exactly what they are promising to do – or not – with your personal information. Be alert to poor language, as this could signify that it is not genuine, and also take note of the options to opt out of data collection.
We hope these five simple tips help you to stay safe when navigating the Internet. Remember, if a site doesn’t look safe, then do your safety checks!
