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Using HTTPS For Secure Login and Payment Online

Sunday, January 31st, 2010 (No comments yet)

What It Is

Because businesses online quickly figured out that sending names, passwords, credit card details, and other sensitive information out unprotected over the Internet was a bad idea, SSL was implemented.

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is an encryption technique that's already built into your browser. You can see in the screenshots for Firefox and Internet Explorer here where 1) the HTTP in the address bar is listed as HTTPS (where the S stands for "secure") and 2) there is a lock icon (at the bottom right of the window for Firefox and just to the right of the address bar for IE).

https in Firefox
https in IE

Why to Use It

Nothing on the Internet was designed with security in mind, all of it was added as an afterthought. So think about this: when you hit the "Submit" button on any webpage, you're sending data from your computer to theirs, but the Internet is a vast inter-connected web of computer systems that spans the entire globe. Somewhere between you and them could be someone monitoring the traffic.

If someone's listening in, they can look right at your data and take your name and password or any other sensitive data you sent. What happens if someone took your name and password and logged into your mail, your bank, or any other service? They could embarass you, spam people from your account, take your money, etc.

Any time you're about to log in or send form data for an account or online order, make SURE that the HTTPS is active. In some cases, you might have to use a trick or too to turn it on. As in these cases:

Case 1: Finding the option for enhanced security and clicking it.

Case 2: Using my login trick to activate security.

When to Use It

You are most at risk when using hotspots at hotels, airports, and cafe's. Consider that the hotel itself or at least all the people there have access to the wireless networking equipment you connect to. Since you are going through them for Internet, they can easily see anything and everything you send. The same goes for your Internet service provider and many of the people who work for them (though you might assume, right or wrong, that the ISP has better physical protections and auditing to prevent their employees from doing it).

Take blind faith out of the equation and make sure HTTPS is active instead!

Limitations

When you see HTTPS, it means you have a mostly secure end-to-end connection, but the first problem is that SSL isn't absolute security. It's way better than nothing, but if something you're sending is absolutely critical to you, maybe you should call it in instead.

Second, bad guys with fake websites can get SSL security too. All that happens then is you have a very secure connection between you and the guy that's going to rip you off. The first defense against this is to use my trick to avoid bogus websites in the first place.

The second tip is to just click the certificate itself to learn more about where you are. Click the colored area to the left of the address (for Firefox) or to the right of the address where the lock Icon is (for IE).

Checking to see if you have a valid secure connection in Firefox
Checking the SSL certificate in IE

This popup window shows you who the secure connection belongs to and who is validating that fact. In one, Equifax is verifying that the page you're on is Facebook.com while VeriSign is validating that you're on eBay.

Always remember to look for HTTPS whenever logging in or entering other important data online. If it's not there, maybe you should think twice about clicking SUBMIT.
internet safety Tutorial
prev: Account Hijacking|INDEX|

General Safety

Avoid fake and nasty websites with my search engine trick.
Watch out for online addiction. Getting lost in fun online activities can be just as addiction as any drug.
So you want to write, publish, or share information online? Be careful. Things you say may be lost or forgotten, but things put on the Internet never are.
Don't fall for the well-known (or the new scams either) bad guys use to trick you into give away data or money.

Account Protection

Want to make an account with some online service? Read this first!
The newest, biggest risk online? Account hijacking! Don't become a victim by allowing your account to be taken over and learn to recognize when someone else has been.
Be sure transmission security is active before entering a name, password, credit card number, or other important information online.

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Check out one of my guides/tutorials:

email Tutorial
|INDEX|next: E-mail Viruses

E-mail Dangers

Until we find out who the people are who actually buy things from spammers and kick them off the Internet, you're going to have to learn how to deal with and prevent spam.
E-mail Viruses - Learn how viruses are spread through e-mail and how to stop them
Phishing - Spot and avoid lures that pull you into the dark side of the web
Don't be one of those people that loses thousands of dollars to the classic Nigerian Scam.

E-mail Etiquette

Use CC only when necessary and BCC the rest of the time.
Use Reply-All when you mean to and never when you don't.
Practice proper E-mail Forwarding to protect privacy and make e-mails more readable.
Always personalize your e-mails to make it obvious to your recipient that it's valid.

E-mail Tips and Tricks

Using E-Mail Aliases Properly - Be careful about using sensitive data (like your real name) in an e-mail account.
Remember to treat your e-mail account with the security it deserves.
Use a decoy e-mail account to keep your main e-mail account free of spam.
Avoid using any Internet provider's default e-mail.

... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!

How to Avoid Bogus Websites

There are bogus websites out there hoping you'll hit them by accident or using phishing to trick you into coming to them. Learn my simple trick to avoid these sites!

[Click for full description]

Online Addiction

Concerned about online addiction? You should be. Learn the types, the signs, and the preventions.

[Click for full description]

The Consequences of Posting Online

It's fun to post online. What you think, what you feel. But words typed and posted on the Internet can come back to bite you more than anything you could say with your mouth.

[Click for full description]

Tricks and Scams

Just because you won't willing give up data doesn't mean that I can't trick you out of it. Don't fall for these well known tricks!

[Click for full description]

Account Creation Tips

When you create an account with an online site, you should know a few things first.

[Click for full description]

Account Hijacking

One of the newest threats we face is the risk of someone getting control of your online account and using it against you and the people you know. Do everything you can to prevent that from happening!

[Click for full description]

Using HTTPS For Secure Login and Payment Online

Making online accounts is useful and fun, but doesn't mean much if someone can capture your login information and use it against you. Make sure to use this simple trick to prevent that from happening.

[Click for full description]

Preventing Spam

Spam is annoying and worthless, but you still see it every single day. Here are some tips for preventing and reducing spam.

[Click for full description]

E-mail Viruses

Make sure that viruses don't sneak onto your computer through your e-mails. Read some simple tips to prevent that from happening.

[Click for full description]

Phishing

By far the most dangerous thing you'll find in e-mails is a lie. Sending a bogus e-mail to someone is generally called phishing, but can also be referred to as a Nigerian scam (depending on the goal of the e-mail). Learn to recognize and deal with phishing before it's too late.

[Click for full description]

Nigerian Scam

Many people have lost thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars to the classic Nigerian Scam. Don't fall for it!

[Click for full description]

How to Use "CC" Properly

Don't violate people's privacy and invite spam into their accounts by CC'ing all your contacts. Learn the proper way to send mass e-mails first.

[Click for full description]

Reply-All

It's easy to embarass yourself or harm your career when you don't know how to use Reply-All appropriately.

[Click for full description]

How to Forward E-mails Properly

Don't forward e-mails carelessly or you risk looking foolish as best and violating the privacy of all your contacts at worst.

[Click for full description]

Personalize E-mail

Follow this simple rule of e-mail etiquette to help prevent your friends and family from falling for phishing scams.

[Click for full description]

Using E-Mail Aliases Properly

It can be hard to find a good name to use in an e-mail account that hasn't been used and doesn't give away too much information about you.

[Click for full description]

Protecting E-mail Passwords

Your e-mail account is the most important online account you have. Remember to treat it as such!.

[Click for full description]

Using a Decoy E-Mail Account

Why it's very important to use a buffer e-mail account to shield your main account from people and companies that you don't trust.

[Click for full description]

The ISP E-mail Trap

Don't fall for the trap of using the free e-mail account provided to you by your Internet service!

[Click for full description]