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Digital transformation has gifted the world with many benefits, but it has also brought along several dangers, the dangers such as phishing, malware, hacking, online scams, and scandals. Every now and then, you must have received promotional calls on your number and wondered, “How the hell did my number go there?”

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and hundreds of other websites that you use, have third-party integrations that fetch your data. The danger of exposure to cyber-attacks increases when you use a website for commercial purposes involving financial transactions.

Furthermore, the integration of Artificial Intelligence algorithms with web application development service can keep track of almost everything, right from your posts to your likes and chats. The vulnerability that netizens face over the Internet is indeed alarming, especially for those who are new to the web world and might be using the purchasing services for the first time.

That’s why it is important for netizens to know about the safety of the websites they’re using. It is understood that for a layman, core technical things are confounding.

There are, however, a few simple ways through which an everyday Internet user can learn about the safety of the sites he/she is using, and that is no rocket science. So without further ado, let’s learn how to know about the safety of the websites.

#The SSL Certificate

Secure Sockets Layer or SSL is a security protocol and digital certificate that authenticates a website’s safety. You know that a site is SSL certified when it starts with ‘HTTPS’ instead of the usual ‘HTTP’. Also, a site secured with an SSL certificate has a small padlock placed right at the beginning of the URL.

So how exactly SSL makes a site safe? The SSL is responsible for encrypting the link between a browser and a web server. This secures the connection and prevents hackers from fetching or reading information during site browsing.

Most organizations acquire SSL certificates to safeguard online transactions. Nowadays, the SSL certification is even considered one of the ranking factors by Google and other search engines.

#Use the Safety Tools of Your Browser

Most modern browsers contain advanced security tools that enable safe Internet surfing. The in-built tools can block pop-ups and stop Flash content and harmful downloads. A modern browser like Chrome also warns users if it fails to establish a safe connection with the web server. So next time your browser warns you about a download or site security, do heed its call.

To make browsing safer, you can also go for browsers that keep safety at the forefront like Avast or AVG Secure browser. Such browsers are good at hiding the digital fingerprints of users and preventing phishing attacks, unwanted advertising, or any sort of data theft.

The Privacy and Security settings of a browser can be accessed and modified from the Settings section. Here, users can get all the details on how their browsers help them from malicious cyber threats. For instance, when a user goes to Chrome’s Settings, they can turn on the option of blocking third-party cookies.

Chrome 🡪 Settings 🡪 Cookies and other site data

#Analyze the Theme and Design of the Website

Another measure to know about a site’s security is to learn about its theme and design. For some of you, this might be a little surprising as you must be thinking about how that is linked to cyber security.

In order to lure customers, hackers and other cyber thugs often put together unsafe websites in a short duration. This leads to poor design, grammatical and spelling errors, and the use of pirated themes to match the original company’s site. For instance, when you search for any specific apparel, Google returns some merchant sites.

As you keep scrolling, you may find sites that you’re already familiar with but once you land on the intended page, the image quality, description, or the overall theme of the page might have subtle differences from the original design.

If you happen to come across any such site, leave the page or think twice before entering any personal details including payment. In such cases, you can also report the same to the customer care of the original company or seek help from government official sites that handle cyber fraud.

#Use Tools Meant for Cyber Security

The use of cyber security tools like anti-virus software has always been one of the popular methods to thwart cyber risks. But thanks to modern technologies, we now have upgraded software and other security systems and tools that can be used to protect systems from malicious cyber attacks.

A VPN, also known as a Virtual Private Network, is a great way to prevent hackers from getting their hands on crucial information. Firewall protection of operating systems is another excellent way to prevent unwanted downloads and the use of insecure sites.

So if your repeated attempts to open a site or download a song fail, then better stay away because the Firewall of your system’s OS might be preventing those actions.

#Verification of Ownership

Another great way to know about a site’s security is the verification of its ownership. Nowadays, there are web applications like Whois.com that give users the verified registration information of any domain. For example, when you enter walmart.com and hit enter, the site returns you updated information of the same like registrar, date of registration, expiry date, etc.

There’s nothing wrong with taking precautions. So next time when you visit a site, do gather some information about it.

Conclusion

Cyber security is a crucial and sensitive zone of the Internet. As the web keeps updating, the responsibility of keeping it safe also gets bigger. It is both important for companies as well as for users to take safety measures from their side.

While companies have the option to hire web developers in India to get their sites developed with the incorporation of security tools, users need to do some homework at their end to check if a site is secure. Although there is never a sure-shot way to ensure a site’s safety, going with the above-mentioned points can at least help netizens stay on the safe side.

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