HTTPS

HTTPS is the secure version of a website connection, with a padlock, that encrypts what you send, but it does not prove the site is honest.

HTTPS: HTTPS is the secure way your browser talks to a website. It encrypts the traffic, so others on the network cannot read passwords or card details, and it checks the site's identity through a certificate. The padlock means a private connection, not a trustworthy owner.

Many people believe that a padlock means a site is safe. It does not. Scammers easily get certificates for fake pages, so a phishing site that copies your bank can show a padlock too. What the padlock does tell you is that nobody on the Wi-Fi in between can read or change your data. Fake shop pages and fake courier pages use the padlock all the time.

The part that matters is the exact name of the site. Read the address letter by letter, since lookalikes swap a letter or add a word. Do not enter a password on a page that shows Not secure, and do not open banking links from messages. Type the address yourself or use the official app. The padlock is only the first check, never the last.

Tips

• Read the full website name, not only the padlock, before you type a password.
• Avoid entering card or login details on any page marked Not secure.
• Open banking and payment sites from the official app or a bookmark you made yourself.

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