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.

As people’s reliance on the internet deepened through the years, cybercriminals also began to move more stealthily. Online shoppers, for instance, can be led to a payment page that has no HTTPS in its URL. If they enter their personal details on this page, they will be a prime target for identity theft without them knowing.

Due to Android’s widespread popularity, it gets plenty of unwanted attention from cybercriminals. Recently, Android has suffered a string of security incidents that would make any user consider switching to a different operating system. Despite what the reports say, Android can be incredibly secure if you use the following features.

Although hackers continue to develop new viruses and bug exploits, the most effective weapon in their arsenal is a simple email. All a would-be cybercriminal has to do is write a convincing message (or pretend to be a trustworthy entity) to persuade a victim to download a malware-ridden file or surrender their personal information.

Phishing scams, whereby cybercriminals masquerade as trustworthy entities to fool victims into disclosing private information, have had a recent surge in popularity. This is largely because hackers realize the best way to infiltrate a system is by exploiting people’s trust.