Did you know Google are getting rid of the padlock symbol?

For years we have been told to ensure sites have a padlock symbol but things are changing. The new Tune icon is clickable and provides more security information about a site.

The reason behind the change is that the padlock meant that there was encryption in place (which is needed for security). Unfortunately, many users thought it meant the site itself was a safe site. In fact, most scam / phishing site use encryption and so use the padlock although they are anything but safe.

The Tune icon tells you more about the security protocols around a site but it still doesn't mean the site itself isn't fradulent! Please take care when browsing and double check you are on a legitimate site. Never follow links from sources you don't trust.