Before you go online and purchase that batch of glow sticks for your emergency preparedness kit, you look for that little padlock in the browser bar. Although your instinct tells you to beware, that lock is the mark of the Internet Security God, right? That would be a big, fat fail.
All that the padlock icon means is that there is a secure connection between your computer and the web server: You’re still not protected from malware. That secure connection is going to help prevent someone from hacking into your home network, but it won't stop the traps that are found on phishing sites or sites with poor reputations, for example.
Also, some hackers are quite good at faking an SSL certificate – or buying one for a spell – and throwing in some padlock clip art. Many people have been fooled into thinking a page is legit when in fact it’s not. It's a great idea to have effective an effective antivirus in place and run system scans before you shop or bank online.
Best answer by JimM
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