Secure online shopping is possible with a secure virtual shopping cart. To tell if a web site’s shopping cart is secure:
- When you look at the url of the site, you should see https:// instead of http://. The “s” means that the site is secure. (Note: Some sites only move you over to a secure server on pages where you are giving them sensitive information – so you might not see https:// until you actually get to the page where you make your online purchase).
- Look for a closed padlock at the bottom of the screen. If the lock is open, the site isn’t secure. If the lock is closed, the site is secure.
- If you see a key at the bottom of your screen, that also indicates a secure site. The key needs to be complete (with no breaks in it).
- Some sites may have logos that show you which SSL (secure-socket layer) provider the site uses. These logos often contain today’s date (to let you know that the ssl is current) and when you click the logo, a screen should appear giving you more information about the ssl provider. One example of this is Verisign.
- There are also newer tools to help you identify sites that take your privacy and security seriously. If you see a current Hackersafe logo on a site, it means that Hackersafe thinks that the site you are on is doing a good job of protecting your information.
