As technology is becoming more and more advanced, online threats are also increasing, and therefore, you need to check the security level of the websites that you visit regularly. Before sharing any personal and financial information like credit card numbers or your home address, check if the website is secure or not.
People often receive emails from an unknown source that contain viruses like malware and they pose a serious threat to the victims. Phishing emails are becoming popular because hackers have access to the latest technological equipment which helps them steal the data on your device. Similarly, when you download something from a website, the file may contain a virus that can damage your device and the files that are stored in it.
The main objective of this article is to spread awareness about online security so that people only visit websites that are safe and secure. Here are some of the ways to check the security of a website:
Use Web Browser Protection Features
Popular web browsers like Google Chrome have the latest security features installed in them which allow you to stay protected at all times. You can use these security tools of the browser to find the level of security the website has to keep yourself away from the eyes of the hackers. In addition to this, you can also prevent the browser from opening additional websites and pop-ups by adding block-ad plug-ins that are built-in in the browser. By blocking the pop-up ads, you can avoid malicious files from entering into your device. Moreover, some viruses are capable of handling the camera and mic of your device, and to prevent this, you need to activate all the security features that your browser offers. Advanced security features can be activated by changing the settings of your web browser.
Google Chrome – Settings > Advanced Settings > Privacy & Security
Microsoft Edge – Settings > Advanced Settings
Mozilla Firefox – Options > Privacy & Settings
Apple Safari – Preferences > Security & Preferences > Privacy
Check URL Before Clicking
Always check the URL twice before clicking on the link because you might be visiting the wrong website. Unlicensed websites often contain dangerous viruses that pose serious harm to your computer. Moreover, you should check the destination of the links before clicking on them because they might redirect you to another website. You can check the destination of the link by moving the cursor of the mouse on that link and without clicking, you will notice the destination of the link appearing on the bottom left of the web page.
Pay attention to the URLs because hackers often trick users by changing the spellings of the URLs by substituting similar characters. People who do not pay attention to the URLs usually end up landing on the wrong website and these phishing sites contain deadly viruses that can seriously harm your device. Users who are not aware of online threats often give away their personal information to untrusted websites and hackers can misuse this crucial information for malicious activities.
HTTPS Certified Websites
HTTPS is one of the most popular ways to check the security of a website. HTTPS is a Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol and it was primarily developed for the safety of the website to ensure a protected internet transaction. Websites that allow customers to share their credit cards with them should have this certification to make sure that their customers enjoy a safe experience.
HTTPS is a protocol that ensures that the data you enter on the website remains encrypted so that hackers cannot steal your valuable data. It is necessary to ensure that your data is protected at all times so that you can carry out your online activities without stressing over security-related issues.
Websites that are HTTPS certified have ‘https://’ written in the address bar along with the URL of the website. This means that you can easily check the security level of a website by looking at the URL address of the site. Never provide your personal and financial information on websites that are not HTTPS certified because your data is at a risk on such websites.
Website Safety Checker
Various security-checking tools are available online for you to check the security of a website. For example; Web Inspector. These tools help you analyze the security of a particular website so that you know if the site is safe for you or not. To analyze the website, you will have to enter the URL address of the site in the search box and press ‘Enter’.
Use Whois Lookup
Whois Lookup allows you to know about the owner of the website and the website itself. You will get to know about the registry of the site and contact details so that you can get in touch with the developers of the site as they can provide you with in-depth knowledge regarding the security of the site.
Install Web Safety Tools
You should have the latest web security tools installed on your computer so that you can check the safety of the site that you want to visit beforehand. In addition to this, you should also install anti-virus software on your device so that you can delete the viruses before they damage your files.
You can also get in touch with the owners of the website and get the security details directly from them to find out whether the site is legal or not. This will give you a clear idea about the website and you will know for sure if you can safely visit it or not.
Conclusion
Security is one of the major concerns for most users because everybody wants to enjoy a secure internet browsing experience. To further enhance the security of your computer, you should avail an internet service that comes with a complete security suite like the one offered with AT&T Internet packages. This would enable you to protect your important files and documents from all sorts of online threats and you will be able to carry out your tasks in a safe environment.
