What Is a Secure Web Site
When you browse the Internet, looking at various sites, you are in effect interchanging data between your computer and another computer called a server. This data is transmitted in plain text and it is not difficult for anyone, with certain web access, to read. This type of information whizzes around the Internet all the time from server to server and since there is no personal information being exchanged nothing is risked by this data being public.
When you are placing an order on a web site you are actually sending very private and financially sensitive data across the Internet to a server. A secure website encrypts this data using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol protecting it from being read by third parties. The encryption insures that the data you send cannot be read unless the corresponding receiving server has the proper encryption key to translate the data. The SSL also states the registered physical address of the company or individual that holds the SSL certificate so you know exactly who you are doing business with.
Are Our Sites Secure?
We encrypt only the check out pages. Our web stores contain both secure and unsecured data. It is not necessary to encrypt all the pages on a web site. When you place an order with us, the product pages and even your shopping cart are not encrypted. When you have finished shopping and enter the “check out” stage you will notice a change. The page address changes from the http to the https prefix. This indicates a secure data connection.
Look For The Lock
The lock icon is an indicator that the page you are on is an encrypted page. This lock shows up in different places in different browsers. For instance in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer the lock appears to the right of the address bar at the top of the page while in FireFox Mozella it resides in the lower right hand corner. In an encrypted page the lock will be shown in a closed position and in an unencrypted page the lock will be open.
Check the About Us Page
Before you place an order on any online store you should determine if they have a real, permanent, brick and mortar store address. Do they have a phone number listed? How many years have they been in business? These are all important questions to ask before you can comfortably making an online purchase. Chair Care has been in business since 1988. We were repairing and refinishing outdoor furniture long before we dreamed of selling DIY outdoor furniture supplies online. We are an establish company that has been doing business at the same address for years. Our business is secure and our stores are secure. Your data is safe with us.