Lesson 4: Understanding Security
Course Sessions
- Organizing Favorites/History
- Capturing Information
- Customizing
- Understanding Security
- Saving Time
This section will help you understand common terms and tools of the internet: Recognizing a Secure Site, Security Certificates, Understanding Cookies, Deleting Cookies.
A "secure" Internet site is a Web site that prevents unauthorized people from accessing information sent to or from that site. Many browsers use security protocols to protect Web sites. This means the site uses a set of rules and standards that enable computers to safely exchange information so that Web surfers can use these secure sites with safety and confidence.
Recognizing a Secure Site
HTTPS in Address Bar
When you visit a secure Web site, Internet Explorer, your Web browser, will indicate that the site is secure by displaying a lock icon on the status bar. Always make sure a site is secure before using it to send any confidential information such as your credit card number. Get in the habit of looking for that lock icon on the status bar.
Security Certificates
In order for a Web site to be secure, it is issued a security certificate. You can actually see the security certificate by double-clicking on the lock icon on the bottom right side of a secure Web page. This will bring up a copy of the certificate. For added security, make sure the certificate is "Issued to" the proper Web site and the "Valid from" dates are current.
Security Certificate
Another way to check you are on a secure Web site is to make sure the address that appears in the Address Bar of your browser starts with HTTPS rather than HTTP. The HTTPS indicates the Web site uses Secure Sockets Layer, the most common encryption protocol. This indicates that you can safely enter personal information.
Understanding Cookies
Many Web sites identify you as a unique user by storing information in a small text file on the hard disk of your computer. This file is called a cookie. Cookies enable a Web site to store information about a visitor, retrieving that data for identification in the future. Cookies record bits of information such as user name, password, and shopping purchases. This enables the Web site to recognize a returning visitor without their having to reenter identification information.
Many Web site use cookies to add to your Internet enjoyment. Cookies allow Web sites to be customized to your needs. For instance, a weather Web site may ask for your zip code. It will then store your zip code in a cookie so that next time you visit the site you can get your local weather without having to enter your zip code again.
Deleting Cookies
Suppose you have decided you do not want a particular cookie on your computer. You have the option of deleting this cookie. Let me show you how to delete one particular cookie and then a trick for deleting all the cookies on your computer.
If you delete all of the cookies on your computer, Web sites that used to give you access may not recognize you and will ask you to resubmit your user name and password. This can be problematic especially when dealing with financial Web sites that may require you to set up your account all over again.
