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Dear PC Doctor:
Sometimes, when I’m on the internet, I’ll go to a website and my browser will stick “not secure” at the beginning of the site’s URL. What does this mean? Should I not go to those websites? They’re just the regular places I visit usually, nothing fancy. I use Chrome.
Thanks,
Concerned
Dear Concerned:
When you use Chrome, the browser inserts symbols (and sometimes words) to the left of the website’s URL. They look like a lock, an i inside a circle, or an exclamation point inside a triangle.
The lock means Chrome has determined it is secure to send private information through this site.
The i inside the circle means Chrome has determined the site or connection is not private. Someone might be able to see or change the information you send or get through this site. You might see a "Login not secure" or "Payment not secure" message. It might not be a good idea to enter passwords, social security numbers, or credit card information when you see this symbol. On some sites, you can visit a more secure version of the page by deleting http:// in the address bar and replacing it with “https://”.
If you see the exclamation point and the words “Not Secure,” it might be best not to enter any personal information. If the text reads “Dangerous,” or if you see a red warning screen, Chrome has flagged the site as dangerous and you might want to skip viewing it or clicking any links from it.
Until next time,
Happy Computing!
PC Doctor
Posted: to Athol Library News on Mon, May 1, 2017
Updated: Mon, May 1, 2017