Most UK web users are at risk from online fraud, with many
unable to spot common tell-tale signs of phishing, a YouGov survey
has revealed.
Of more than 2,000 UK adults asked to compare two sites, 88%
failed to spot the spelling mistakes that would have identified the
phishing site.
Fifty-seven per cent did not notice that the phishing site did
not have a padlock symbol in the browser address bar, 34% missed
that the URL contained an unspecified domain name, and 23% were
duped by a request for additional account information.
| How to spot a phishing site |
|---|
| 1. https:// The "s"
in https:// means the site is encrypted, so the information you
enter is secured. While some phishing sites do have a secured web
address, many do not. Therefore, site visitors should be on the
lookout for missing security on sites that should have
it. |
| 2. The padlock
icon: To be meaningful this icon must appear in the
actual browser interface and not inside the content of the page
itself. |
| 3. Trust marks:
Simple visual cues in the form of popular logos can show that a
website is authenticated, secured, and the company is
reputable. |
| 4. Check the web
address: Be suspicious of any site with an unknown
domain that contains the name of a well known site in the latter
part of the Web address. |
| 5. Green address
bar: This signifies that this site has undergone
extensive identity authentication so that you can be confident it
is the site it claims to be. |
| Source: Verisign |
"Phishing continues to be a major challenge for online
businesses," said Andrew McCelland, director of business
development at industry body IMRG.
"It takes only one phishing attack to dramatically reduce the
web browsing public's trust in an organisation," he said.
Security vendors and internet browsers have combined forces to
help boost trust in websites by establishing the
Extended Validation standard for SSL certificates.
"By adopting Extended Validation, a site owner makes it easy for
web users to see that the site they are on is genuine," said Tim
Callan, vice-president of product marketing at VeriSign, which
commissioned the phishing survey.
When a shopper visits a site secured in this way, a
high-security browser will trigger the address bar to turn
green.
"For additional clarity, the name of the organisation listed in
the certificate as well as the certificate's security vendor is
also displayed," said Callan.
Stephen Mills, product manager for QuickRooms.com, said that
since adding extended validation authentication, sales have
increased by nearly 7%.