What Can I Do To Keep My Stuff Safe; How Can I Tell If A Web Site Is Secure - McAfee GUARD DOG 2 User Manual

What can I do to keep my stuff safe?

With sniffer in place, a hacker can intercept credit card numbers and other
private information by capturing data transmissions, and then using
pattern-matching algorithms to filter out the valuable information.
Intercepted credit card info can be sold to criminals, intent on committing
fraud.
To avoid this problem, Web browsers incorporate encryption technology that
cloaks information and makes it difficult to get at. Encryption is the basic
technique that the Web uses to guarantee information security.
The current encryption standard is called "Secure Sockets Layer" (SSL),
supported both by Microsoft and Netscape, and incorporated in their
browsers. An icon in the browser changes to indicate that SSL is active. When
you make a transaction with SSL active, you can be fairly comfortable that the
transaction is safe.
When you visit an SSL-secured site, the latest versions of Netscape
Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer use a visual cue to tell you that
the site is secure. For more information, see How can I tell if a Web site is secure?


How can I tell if a Web site is secure?

Today, many sites use SSL to set up secure commerce on the Web. In addition
to Web server security, the most common Internet browsers provide feedback
about the security level of the site to which you are currently connected. For
example, Netscape Communicator displays a lock icon in the lower left corner
of the browser window. If the lock icon is broken, the site is not secure. If the
lock symbol is not broken, the site is secure. In addition, if the lock symbol has
a gold background, the site is using strong, 128-bit encryption.
Recent versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and America Online browsers
also display security information. For more information about how your
browser indicates the security level of sites, refer to your browsers on-line
help, or the printed documentation.
NOTE: Guard Dog's CheckUp lets you know if your Web browser is
up-to-date. The latest browser versions usually offer an enhanced degree
of security.
Internet Security and Privacy
User's Guide 63