Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated, and it is more important than ever to take steps to protect yourself online. These steps include visiting websites that use HTTPS. Read on to find out what HTTPS is, why it is important, and how you can make sure that you are always browsing securely.

When you visit a website, do you see a padlock icon on the browser's address bar? That’s one of the first signs that a website is safe to visit. That padlock is a security feature that authenticates websites and ensures that the data that users submit to that site is protected.

One basic internet security habit that everyone should remember is to avoid websites that aren’t secured with the HTTPS protocol. This is as simple as looking at your URL bar to check whether the URL string starts with “https” and whether there is a symbol of a closed padlock beside it.

HTTPS usage on the web has taken off as Chrome has evolved its security indicators. HTTPS has now become a requirement for many new browser features, and Chrome is dedicated to making it as easy as possible to set up HTTPS. Let's take a look at how.

For several years, Google has moved toward a more secure web by strongly advocating that sites adopt the Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) encryption.

For all the time we spend discussing the complexity of internet security, there are a few simple things you can do. Avoiding websites that aren’t secured with the HTTPS protocol is one of them. It’s a habit that can be developed with a better understanding of what the padlock icon in your web browser’s address bar represents.