Browse safely

How to Browse safely

• When visiting a website, type the address directly into the browser rather than following a link
• Only provide personal information on sites that have “https” in the web address or have a lock icon at bottom of the browser
• Use your instincts and common sense.
• Be careful around free, on-line deals.
• Check for presence of an address, phone number and/or email contact
• Check that the website’s address seems to be genuine by looking for misspellings, extra words or characters
• If there is NO padlock in the browser window or ‘https://’ at the beginning of the web address to signify that it is using a secure link, do not enter personal information on the site.
• Websites which request more personal information than you would normally expect to give, such as user name, password or other security details IN FULL, are probably malicious.
• Avoid ‘pharming’ by checking the address in your browser’s address bar after you arrive at a website to make sure it matches the address you typed. This will avoid ending up at a fake site even though you entered the address for the authentic one – for example ‘eebay’ instead of ‘ebay.
• Be wary of websites which promote schemes that involve the recruitment of others, receiving money for other people or advance payments.
• Be wary of websites that are advertised in unsolicited emails from strangers