Safe Commerce on the Internet
Hey big spender. How safe is that site that you're shopping on? As the number of people who shop on the Internet increases hackers become smarter about using spyware to steal bank account and credit card information. There are measures you can take to protect your personal information.
Snopes
VeriSign
- Is it an https site? The difference between http:// and https:// is that the "s" stands for secure. A secure site uses a code that prevents anyone from seeing information you send to that site.
- Look for the VeriSign Seal. If you see this on a site click the seal and review the verification information. The name on the page should match the address you want to visit. More recent versions of VeriSign use a red light and green light which works just like traffic lights. Green means secure - red means not secure. Check the source link for additional information about VeriSign.
- Check the padlock icon. Secure sites have a padlock icon at the bottom of the web page. You can click the padlock to review its VeriSign SSL certificate information.
- Check the site properties. The VeriSign SSL certificate information is available through the Properties option on the File drop-down menu or by using a right click on your mouse.
- Verify-Before-You-Buy. This one is easy enough. Before you make an online purchase copy and paste the URL into the VeriSign search box and click "Verify." They will check it for you. You can even access the source link to download the widget to your desktop.
Snopes
VeriSign
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