Knowing if a website is secure can help you in many ways. On the one hand, and probably the most important thing, is that it will help you avoid fraud that puts your information and security at risk, such as phishing.

Phishing is a form of scam that is characterized by being virtual in nature and based on fraud , since those who practice it usually steal someone's identity or use false identities to manipulate people into sharing confidential information such as numbers card numbers, bank accounts, addresses, etc. as well as to download malware that can steal user information.

In many cases, phishing is done through the theft of already known identities , such as with fake social media accounts or emails that emulate other originals, although there are also cases in which websites are designed that are imitations of others, that is, identity theft , in which a false service is offered in order to collect information from users who cannot notice the differences between when a website is secure.

For this reason, it is very important to know how to recognize when a website is secure and when it is not, to avoid fraud such as phishing. Here we give you some keys to notice it.

Check security protocol

All websites must have a security protocol that helps verify their authenticity. Some use the HTTPS protocol and others use HTTP. You can notice this from the URL of the website you access, which must begin with one of those two certificates. Both HTTP and HTTPS are protocols used by a large number of web pages that you surely visit daily and that, by starting with those letters, ensure greater security.

Avoid sites without a lock

To reinforce security from the website URL, you should see if a lock icon appears in the left corner of the URL. If yes, it is a safe place. If not, it is not. This lock icon is part of the website 's SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate and when it is present, you can select it to break down all the information about the site you are visiting, which should ensure that it is a secure site, since all the information presented there must match that of the page you are visiting.

Recognize website URL

Another security signal that is also present from the URL of the website is being able to identify that it is the original address of the site and not an imitation.

Phishing sites often use web addresses similar to those of legitimate sites, but with small variations, so if you are going to share sensitive information, verify that it is a correct URL and not an imitation with some variation.

Keep antivirus and software updated

If you browse from updated software, you will have greater protection against fake sites. Likewise, if your antivirus is current, this will help you eliminate viruses from your operating system ( regardless of whether you use Mac or Android ) that may have entered your computers as a result of a false page.

Other care

It is important to avoid some bad practices when using the Internet that, due to carelessness, can confront us with complex security challenges. For example, avoid clicking on suspicious links that arrive in emails of dubious origin or with unclear information.

Likewise, you should avoid entering accounts and passwords in spaces that do not ensure proper use of information, for example, that do not offer a clear and accessible privacy policy.

Furthermore, it is advisable to avoid handling sensitive information such as bank details on websites as much as possible if its security is not known with certainty.

Finally, you can change your passwords frequently to avoid registering your data in spaces that are not legitimate and remember to pay attention to suspicious signals when you browse the Internet.

[ Via GQ Mexico]