The difference between http and https

Question: What is the difference between:

http://
https://

When should I be looking for that “s”?

Answer: when you are viewing a web page with a web browser, you’ll see the web page’s address in the address bar. It will always begin with http:// or https://.  When the address begins with https, you can be assured that the contents of the page was encrypted when it was sent from the web site to your computer.

To be sure, however, you want to also look for the little padlock symbol that is usually in the lower left corner of the browser window, on the status bar.

Some malicious web sites try to fool users by displaying a “status bar” that resembles a browser’s status bar, in order to try and fool the user. It is important to know for sure that you see a real padlock and not a fake one.

Newer browsers also provide a region (just to the left of the address in Firefox) that you can click on to view security information about the site you are visiting.  You should find and practice using this feature, and be familiar with how this looks for web sites that you know are legitimate. That way you will be more apt to recognize when you are on a site that is not legitimate.