How to know if a website is safe
Knowing if a website is safe is one of the essential secrets of safe internet browsing. When shopping or registering on the web, for example, it’s always important to pay attention to features that help you know if a site is trustworthy, as well as adhere to security protocols that help prevent fraud and scams.
Looking into a website’s reputation or privacy policy, for example, helps avoid credit card cloning. By ensuring that fake websites are not accessed, it is also possible to avoid scams that steal data or passwords from social networks or email services, while genuine services will always have a secure connection and risk-free browsing.
Here are some tips to know if a website is safe:
Secure websites have a padlock and an HTTPS connection
The HTTPS protocol (Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol) serves as another indicator that security is a priority. By using this technology, the website administrator guarantees that the connection between the user and its servers is encrypted and cannot be intercepted by third parties. It is an ideal source, for example, for pages dealing with personal data, applications or financial information.
The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is indicated by the presence of a padlock next to the address bar; if there is, it is a sign that the page has protected data. While the use of a protocol is not the end-all be-all of knowing if a website is trustworthy, as criminals can also use stolen certificates or deploy technology to trick people, the idea is that any secure service will rely on it.
Ideally, the user enters personal information, passwords and credit cards only on sites that use the HTTPS protocol and have a famous padlock. To know if a site with these characteristics is safe, before you click, follow the steps below, with research and information to help you identify legitimate sites and avoid scams.
Official domains help identify secure websites
Accessing official addresses is the first step in navigating a trusted website. When browsing, make sure the website URL matches the official company page, social network or service you are accessing, especially when talking about banking, e-commerce, email, social networks or government platforms.
If you do not know the correct address of the website, look for it in search engines or verified profiles on Twitter or Facebook. Researching website reputation on platforms such as Reclame Aqui also helps identify safe websites and avoid e-commerce that for example sells but does not deliver products.
In this sense, also be careful with shortened links or links that arrive via email or WhatsApp. More and more criminals are using such strategies to make it difficult to identify fake websites, while using designs similar to real ones to try to trick users into fraud. Again, never hand over information or credit cards unless you are absolutely sure you are accessing a legitimate site.
Use an antivirus program and update your browser
Using security software on your computer and mobile phone also helps avoid the most common scams involving fake sites. Together with the browser, such systems help identify fraudulent websites and display notifications, in addition to blocking access if they detect any problem, be it the possibility of fraud or the use of an unsecured connection.
Browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox also help with this, displaying scam warnings and helping you know if a site is safe. Browsers also need to be up-to-date, both on mobile and desktop, to recognize the latest and most common scams.
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