To know if a website is secure, check for a combination of visual cues, technical indicators, and available safety tools before sharing personal or financial information.

Key Signs of Secure Websites

• A secure website's URL will start with "https" (not just "http"), where the "s" stands for secure and indicates an SSL certificate is in use.

• Most browsers show a padlock icon in the address bar for secure sites; clicking the padlock usually reveals details about the site's security certificates.

• Reliable sites usually do not trigger browser safety warnings (such as "Not Secure" or "Your connection is not private").

Using Online Safety Tools

• Google Safe Browsing: Enter the website's URL into tools like Google Transparency Report to see if it is flagged for malware or phishing.

• Reputation Scanners: Services like Sucuri SiteCheck, URLVoid, and Sitechecker analyze URLs for threats (malware, blacklisting, suspicious activity), providing a report on site safety.

• SSL Labs: Deep analysis of SSL certificate validity and configuration assures a stronger site security profile.

Additional Tips

• Avoid entering sensitive data on sites lacking "https" or showing security warnings.
• Double-check if a site feels untrustworthy via additional search or reputation checkers.
• Be cautious if a website asks for unusual or excessive personal information, displays pop-ups, or contains many advertisements.

Checking for these markers and using trusted site-scanning tools will help you determine if a website is secure before engaging with it.