According to official sources, the internet today is filled with over 1.13 billion websites. However, only around 200 million websites are visited regularly and frequently updated.
It’s not always easy to tell if a website you have landed on is safe, and unfortunately, many unsecured sites exist and must be avoided at all costs.
With that in mind, here are three essential features to look for in a credible website. These tell-tale signs will ensure its legitimacy and that the website’s operator won’t use digital techniques to steal sensitive data, send spam, or spread malware, which can harm your device.
Three easy ways to tell if a website is safe
If you want to become less vulnerable to cyber threats, knowing what to look for when visiting websites is important. Carrying out a few basic checks will tell you if that site is safe and will be worth your time.
The three easiest ways to determine if that website you have just landed on is safe include the following:
- Always check to see if the website URL in the address bar starts with https:// and not just http://
- Read the website’s privacy policy and check that it complies with local and international data protection standards
- Find out who owns the website, see if there is any contact information available, and check the reputation/track record of that operator to ensure they can be trusted
What does all of this mean?
Let’s now take a look at what some of this actually means and how you can easily find some of this information without too much research.
When you look at the URL, make sure the ‘S’ is in their (https://), which tells you that the site has the necessary 128-bit or higher SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption certificate that keeps any sensitive data of yours used/stored on that site safe at all times.
For example, when playing computer-generated online slots on an iGaming site in real money mode, never play on sites that aren’t protected by SSL encryption because they will most likely be unlicensed and unregulated.
Stick to playing on iGaming sites known to be controlled by trustworthy operators with good standing in the industry because they will protect your sensitive data with SSL encryption and will be fully licensed and regulated by one or more top-tier licensing authorities/gaming commissions.
Data on these sites will be highly encrypted and travel through a secure connection using advanced cryptographic techniques, and it will be unreadable even if the hackers do end up intercepting any data.
You can learn more about the security of any website by clicking on the padlock icon (or similar icon) in your device’s web browsers. You may also want to run the URL through a website safety checker tool. There are plenty available online today.
Legitimate sites will also comply with local and international data protection standards. They will have reliable privacy policies in place to ensure your data is never sold to the wrong third parties.
Finally, try to find out who owns the website, and then conduct your own basic research to see if they can be trusted with your sensitive data. In other words, when playing on iGaming sites, trust the expert reviews and see what other people/players have to say about that site by reading their feedback.
Final thoughts
Some websites will also have ‘safe and fair‘ seals of approval plastered all over the website to enhance credibility and trust in that site, so you could always check the authenticity of those accreditation logos by going to the official websites where they claim to be accredited, just to see if they are, in fact, telling the truth.
When visiting any website, remember to carry out these few simple checks. If you have any suspicions, use as many security website checker tools as possible to check that it is legitimate because you don’t want to be a victim of cybercrime.
