Security while shopping online

If you provide your credit-card number to a Web site, you'll want to make sure that the site is secure. Internet Explorer notifies you if a site is secure by displaying a lock icon on the status bar, in the lower-right corner of the window.

Lock icon displayed on status bar

When you see this lock you can be assured of two things:

  • The site is owned and maintained by the organization it claims to be. (Double-click the lock to see a certificate verifying site ownership.)
  • Any communication you send to or receive from the site is encrypted, so no one else can read the information.

Even with these assurances, you should always be cautious when giving out personal information online. Only share information with reputable Web sites that you trust.

 


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