Signs if a website is safe: 7 tips
Opening a website and entering your banking information should take no more than a few minutes, yet we never check to see if the website to which you're providing your information is trustworthy. It is necessary to ensure that a website retains certain qualities that ensure its security. Here are seven ways to tell if a website is genuine:
1) Check the URL.
One letter can make a difference between safety and exposure. If a website URL includes an “S” after HTTP to become HTTPS, then that means the website has encryption to protect your data responses and requests. Not all websites have the “S” on their URLs. The “S” stands for secure and is provided by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. Without the SSL certificate, any cybercriminal can access the website and steal the information you log in. Any website with HTTPS means that the admin wants to protect their visitor’s safety and privacy.
2) See the payment methods
We might fall victim to landing on a phony website that looks legitimate, but some factors can expose that. It’s good to enter the purchase pages of websites you’re skeptical about. genuine websites usually include the option to pay via MasterCard and Visa through bank transfers. Other popular payment methods include PayPal, Stripe, and Paymentwall which are encrypted gateways and are backed up by redeemable policies. Unsafe websites will only provide limited payment options that look sketchy, outdated, or limited.
3) Read the privacy policy
This document is what protects a user’s privacy and how a website or service achieves that. It demonstrates what information is being collected and what isn’t. It also elaborates in detail how it handles the user’s privacy, data collecting, and the governing laws it abides by. This document is easily accessible on the website (usually in the footer) along with the terms and conditions. Websites that don’t include a privacy policy or have a poorly written one might have the intention of mishandling your information or are simply not aware of the legitimacy of the document. It is highly recommended to read a privacy policy in detail and enquire about anything that isn’t clear to you.
4) See if a website looks outdated or old
When it comes to your cyber security, the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" should not be applied. A website that appears to be outdated merely means that the security is insufficient to deal with newer cyber dangers such as new codes and bugs.
5) Grammatical and spelling errors
Frequent misspelled words and grammatical faults are indicators of an unsafe website. Any well-established company, or any company that takes itself seriously, will develop an accurate foundation to ensure that no errors are prominently shown for all to see. On a website, good content writing promotes trust and expertise while also delivering the website's message clearly. Illegitimate websites might leave out certain material information that might throw them off track. Pay attention to such errors since they show a lack of knowledge to commit to something such as good content writing.
6) Lack of contact information
It’s usually a bad sign when a website does not present any form of contact information for communication. Typically, a website that provides any service or product will display an email address, a support page that leads to a message portal, and for well-established companies, a phone number.
What establishes a company’s legitimacy is showing the physical address if one exists and social media accounts. It helps that the domain of their email (if one exists) ends the domainname.com and not [email protected].
7) Frequent pop-ups
Pop-ups are like flies buzzing around your lunch – they appear out of nowhere and bring nothing but aggravation. Legitimate websites might display visible “X’s” to close the pop-up. These pop-ups are necessary and are even convenient to both the user and provider. However, too many pop-ups on a page is a red flag that the website is hoarding malicious links to potential viruses, malware, and ransomware. Such advertisements contain absurd links that have nothing to do with the product or service and are poorly designed with overly large text fonts to attract the user. Some will even hide the close button in an unsuspecting spot forcing the viewer to click it.
Some of the links may lead you to a phishing site that appears to be authentic but asks you to provide your personal information. . If you visit such a website with plenty of pop-ups, then it’s best to exit the website altogether for your safety.
Try a VPN
Any form of defense to combat potential viruses is always a good idea. While having antivirus software running in the background is a good way to protect yourself, adding a VPN into the mix will cement a high-enough wall to keep your data safe and anonymous which an anti-virus does not provide.
It will also encrypt any ongoing and outgoing information requests you make online so that anyone who intercepts your traffic won’t know the nature of the requests. Of course, the real way to avoid viruses is by practice. Don’t irresponsibly click on certain pages that may have malicious links. Always double-check a website’s legitimacy before engaging with them or handing out your personal information.
