Personal Insurance Blog

Online Safety: http vs. https

Have you ever noticed the first few letters of a web address?

Be safe online with personal from andrew gordon inc insurance norwell maThe web address's URL (universal resource locator) usually begins with http://. These letters stand for hyper text transfer protocol. Basically, it’s the program language of the internet.

Sometimes, you may notice an “s” at the end, making the ever so common http:// turn into somethings it's not- https://. This extra "s" isn't nonsensical; it means “secure”.

When this "s" is present, communication between the internet and your machine is kept private. When you visit a website or web page, most pages begin with http://. This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular ‘unsecured’ language. This means also that it is possible for someone to “eavesdrop” on your computer’s conversation with the website. For example, if you fill out a form on the website, someone unauthorized could see the information you send to that site.

Don’t enter sensitive information such as a credit card number, your date of birth, social security number, ANY financial account number, or other information that cyber crooks might want to have. However, if the address begins with https://, your computer is talking to the website in a secure code- and there's no eavesdropping.

Even the most careful web users can end up with identity theft problems. For Identity Theft protection, you may already have protection on your homeowner's policy. Visit agordon.com/home for resources regarding these and other ways to keep your home insurance watching your back. For businesses, check out another blog post about cyber liability, and read about how it affected our community.

If you have any additional risk management or insurance questions, feel free to contact us. Learn more about personal insurance here.

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Geoff Gordon

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