HTTPS is the difference between transmitting sensitive information securely to your bank and allowing cybercriminals to steal that data so they can use it to commit crimes. But there are some misconceptions about what HTTPS means that we want to clear up…

Every day, you use websites to make purchases and pay bills online. But how do you know whether the website you’re using is safe and secure? If you’re like most users, you look for the little padlock Icon in your web address bar and think you’re using a safe website. But what if that’s only part of the equation — what if that icon doesn’t tell you the whole story?

Cybercriminals love to exploit ignorance about what that little padlock Security icon and Https really mean. It reminds me of a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where some of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table follow an icon in the sky to what they believe is the secret location of the Holy Grail. Turns out, it wasn’t really the Grail, but the young women were using it to lure Grail-seekers to their castle.

In much the same way, the security icon in your browser may be lulling you or other users into a false sense of security. Those security indicators aren’t saying that the connection is safe; they’re conveying that a connection is secure. Yes, there is a difference. And understanding HTTPS will help you better understand what that difference is and why it matters. That’s why we’re here to answer questions like “what is HTTPS?” and “what does HTTPS stand for?”

Let’s hash it out.

The post What Is HTTPS? A 5-Minute Overview of What HTTPS Stands For appeared first on Hashed Out by The SSL Store™.