Web surfing is one of the most popular kinds of using the Internet. Every day we are surfing the web: view the news, listen to the music and check e-mail. However, this service puts at risk the information stored on your computer (personal data, work documents).
During web surfing everyone can get to the site from which you can upload virus or an attacker can trick to get personal information. A digital certificate may be threat signal. Let's look at what it is a digital certificate and how it provides safety when surfing the web.
There are many digital certificates and each serves for their own purposes. The most common type of certificates is SSL certificates. The work of HTTPS technology is provided by SSL certificate. This technology is used for encrypted data, transmitted between server and browser. In other words, the information is safely protected while transmitting or exchanging. But the thing is that anyone who has web resource (for example website), releasing a self-signed certificate can create such a certificate and provide secure encrypted communication.
If you go to the site and there is a warning (see Figure 1) – remember that either you are deceived by redirecting to a completely different site or certificate SSL, provided by the server was signed by an organization that had not been classified by the operating system of the computer as a trusted.
A browser does not block the active site, but simply warns, giving the right to decide whether to follow the link or to stop and close the tab. By clicking "Continue anyway", you can get to a phishing site (the copy of the present site), where, for example, making the payment by credit card the information about your cards will be given to attackers and they may withdraw all money from your card.
Security mechanisms are constantly being improved as attack methods. Besides it is necessary to pay attention to browser and antivirus informational reports while web surfing, you should keep in mind that:
- If there was a message about self-signed certificate when you go to the previously used resource, you should think about following the link. Perhaps you are redirected to a phishing site;
- Not all sites have an SSL certificate, but payment systems, social networks have already had technology. If you need to fill in a web form with personal information, make sure that the web page is secure: the address in your browser should begin with «https»;
- When using Internet, the real hyperlinks‘ function should be checked, do not click on banner ads and do not follow the advertising links, which often lead to a fake resource or generate dozens of pop-up windows;
- Avoid visiting sites with lots of ads, pop-ups, pirated content;
- Do not ignore the system warnings. If you doubt the authenticity of the message – refer to administrator. Do not rush with the decision.
