With identity theft having become so common these days, you must be careful when you are surfing or browsing around on the Internet.
Just in case you do not already know, there is a very important difference between http:// and https:// in the address of a website or webpage. What is the very important difference?
http:// is NOT a secure site
If you visit a website or webpage, the address in the web browser will most likely begin with the following http://. This means that the website which is talking to your computer's internet browser is not secure. Therefore, anyone can "eaves drop" or listen in on the conversation between the website and your computer's internet browser.
For example, out of the blue, you want to go on Facebook to chat with a friend. Since it is "not a secure" webpage, anyone browsing in the internet can [accidentally or intentionally] open the Facebook page you are on and "eaves drop" on the conversation between you and your Facebook pal. As long as you are just chatting about the weekend weather and the football game between your the football teams playing the weekend, there is no danger involved in a stranger eaves dropping.
2) https:// IS a secure site
However, let us say that, you want to buy a roundtrip business class airplane ticket from LA to London from a discount airline ticket agent, so you want to make sure that the website is secure because you do not want anyone eaves dropping or popping in on the website while you are typing in delicate personal information, such as, your credit card number and security code. Thus, you must make sure that the website address starts with https:// The "s" after the "http" means that the website is secure, and nobody can just pop in and see your delicate personal information such as your credit card number and security code.
Be very sure that the website is a secure site before you type-in any delicate personal/private information [such as your credit card info.] on any on-line form!
Fortunately, these days, most business websites inform the client/the buyer [you] in advance before asking for your delicate personal information [e.g., credit card number] that the website is secure, and usually a "yellow padlock" icon pops on your computer screen.
Nevertheless, it is still a good habit to double-check and make sure that the website is secure before you type-in any delicate private information.
Just in case you do not already know, there is a very important difference between http:// and https:// in the address of a website or webpage. What is the very important difference?
http:// is NOT a secure site
If you visit a website or webpage, the address in the web browser will most likely begin with the following http://. This means that the website which is talking to your computer's internet browser is not secure. Therefore, anyone can "eaves drop" or listen in on the conversation between the website and your computer's internet browser.
For example, out of the blue, you want to go on Facebook to chat with a friend. Since it is "not a secure" webpage, anyone browsing in the internet can [accidentally or intentionally] open the Facebook page you are on and "eaves drop" on the conversation between you and your Facebook pal. As long as you are just chatting about the weekend weather and the football game between your the football teams playing the weekend, there is no danger involved in a stranger eaves dropping.
2) https:// IS a secure site
However, let us say that, you want to buy a roundtrip business class airplane ticket from LA to London from a discount airline ticket agent, so you want to make sure that the website is secure because you do not want anyone eaves dropping or popping in on the website while you are typing in delicate personal information, such as, your credit card number and security code. Thus, you must make sure that the website address starts with https:// The "s" after the "http" means that the website is secure, and nobody can just pop in and see your delicate personal information such as your credit card number and security code.
Be very sure that the website is a secure site before you type-in any delicate personal/private information [such as your credit card info.] on any on-line form!
Fortunately, these days, most business websites inform the client/the buyer [you] in advance before asking for your delicate personal information [e.g., credit card number] that the website is secure, and usually a "yellow padlock" icon pops on your computer screen.
Nevertheless, it is still a good habit to double-check and make sure that the website is secure before you type-in any delicate private information.
