HTTPS

HTTPS stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure” and refers to a secure connection between your browser and a website.

What does HTTPS mean in detail?

With HTTPS, the data between your device and the website is transmitted in encrypted form. This means that third parties cannot simply read or manipulate the information.

You recognize websites with HTTPS:

• the “https://” in the address line

• a lock symbol in the browser

Where do I come across this issue in my day-to-day work?

• When accessing websites
• When shopping online or logging into accounts
• When entering passwords or personal data

What can I do to improve my safety?

1. Pay attention to HTTPS before you enter data
2. Be careful with warning messages from the browser
3. Do not enter sensitive data on insecure sites

Practical example from everyday work

An employee wants to log into a customer portal while on the move to check an order. He clicks on a link from an email and lands on a login page.

Before entering his access data, he takes a look at the address line:
The website begins with “http://” and there is no lock symbol.

This seems suspicious to him. Instead of logging in, he cancels the process and accesses the website directly via the official company address. There he sees “https://” and the lock symbol in the browser – so the connection is secure.

Later it turns out that the first link led to a fake website that was supposed to capture access data.

Result: By paying attention to HTTPS, the employee was able to prevent his access data from falling into the wrong hands.