5 Simple Steps to Determine a Website’s Safety
In today’s technologically advanced world, where users peruse millions of online pages daily, protecting their safety has risen to the top of website owners’ priorities. However, it is still true that not all websites are secure to view.
Accessing a dangerous website puts users’ security at risk in a number of ways, including the transmission of malware and the theft of personal data. This may harm firms’ reputations and drive away customers.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at 5 simple steps to check if a website is safe to browse.
5 Quick Steps You Can Take to Ensure The Website is Safe to Browse
1. Check for the SSL Certificate
Always keep in mind that a secure website’s URL will always begin with “HTTPS” rather than “HTTP”.
SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is the industry-standard security protocol for websites, and HTTPS indicates that it is installed. By encrypting data transfers, SSL creates a secure connection between a website’s server and a user’s browser.
Therefore, while doing online searches, it’s crucial to be cautious of any website that does not use HTTPS site security and check for it first.
2. Carefully Check the URL Structure
Many consumers neglect to carefully review the website’s information while rushing to complete a transaction or merely surfing. This makes it possible for hackers to profit from the circumstance.
When exploring a new website, be sure to carefully review the URL. Watch out for warning signals like typos, missing letters or numbers, or basic grammatical mistakes. If you see any of these, there is a strong likelihood of fraud.
Additionally, look out for phony web addresses that use characters in lieu of others while examining the URL. Changing the letter “o” to 0, for instance (Eg: Facebo0k.com).
3. Be Aware of Website Security Seals
Today, several companies verify their websites’ security with security seals. It signifies that a website utilizes SSL and is secure to view since it has been verified and given permission by a Certificate Authority to display a security seal.
How to check? A security seal is a little picture that informs website visitors that the page they are viewing is secure. It may be seen on sites like the home page or login page. You may click on the seal to visit the particular corporate website and double-check by doing so. You may wish to reevaluate your decision to browse the website if it provides any further information.
However, you should be on the lookout for spam since anybody may use online editors to produce a false or phony stamp and show it on websites. The fake stamps that cybercriminals produce are just photos with no information.
Read more: 14+ Best Trust Badge Apps for Shopify
4. Review the Website’s Privacy Policy
The privacy policy on a website is a great resource for finding out how a company gathers and utilizes sensitive data about you.
The majority of trustworthy websites include a thorough privacy policy statement since it is required by law in many jurisdictions.
If you see that a website is collecting your personal data but has no privacy statement, that website may not be legitimate or may not be taking your data privacy seriously.
Read more: 10+ Best Terms and Conditions Apps for Shopify
5. Look for the Company’s Social Media Presence
Don’t be lured to employ a brand or website that you find appealing straight immediately. Make some inquiries to determine the legitimacy of the website or the business.
Examining a company’s social media activity is one of the finest methods to judge its sincerity.
You should exercise caution if a company has little to no social media presence, uploads dubious material, or both. Similar to this, it’s crucial to read customer reviews before making a purchase from a brand.
One thing to keep in mind while viewing reviews is to never utilize the website’s review page since fraudsters may create bogus positive ratings. Through the entries in the company directory, you may read customer reviews.
Read more: 5+ Best Shopify Facebook Reviews Apps, Top 7+ Best Google Reviews Shopify Apps
Summary
By following these simple rules, you can protect yourself and reduce the likelihood of clicking on dangerous links. To be secure, it’s crucial to be aware of scams and understand how to tell a real website from a phony one.
If you are an online store owner, you also should take note of the tips above to establish online credibility and earn your customers’ trust.
