HOW TO KNOW IF AN ONLINE WEBSITE IS SECURE

Before you put confidential information on line - whether you are on your home or at your computer at work, or on a public computer - make sure you are on a secure page.

So always, before you register on a website, put personal information such as your name, mailing address, phone numbers, birth dates, credit card or checking account information when shopping - anything personal and confidential, always be sure that the information page you are on is totally secure.

How? Watch for these to be sure you are on a secure Website:

• https (vs http) is what you should see in the address bar before giving out confidential information-So always look at the top of your screen where the Web site address is displayed, you should see https://. The "s" that is displayed after "http" indicates that Web site is secure. You might not see the "s" until you actually move to the page asking for confidential info OR
• Look for a closed padlock displayed at the bottom of your screen. If that lock is open, you should assume it is not a secure site OR
• Look for an unbroken key