How to check a site certificate
If you have suspicions about a website that has all the appearances of being secure, even down to the "https" in the browser address and the locked padlock icon, you can check the site certificate.
Sites that are serious about security always show a valid site certificate. Sometimes fraudsters try to duplicate these certificates but there are simple ways to check their validity.
The Internet authorities issue site certificates to verify who operates a particular website, and whether it is secure or not. Here’s how to check both of these things:
To find out who owns the site certificate
- Start by double-clicking on the padlock icon in the bottom right of your browser window.
Security Certificate information - Click on the "details" tab that will appear at the top of the new window.
Site certificates - A list of different elements of the certificate will be shown. Select the one called "Subject".
- Another listing will appear below the first. Look at the item called ‘CN’ – this stands for Common Name. Displayed next to it is the name of the certificate owner. It should be online.lloydstsb.co.uk or something similar. If the names are incorrectly spelled, or a different name is given, a fraudster could be at work.
To check the validity of the site certificate
- Start by double-clicking on the padlock icon in the bottom right of your browser window.
- This time click on the "certification path" tab that will appear.
Certification path - You’ll see the name of the certificate owner, as identified in Step 4 above.
- Click on this name and another window will pop up showing the status of the site certificate. The message displayed in the "certificate status" box at the bottom of the window should be "This certificate is ok." If any other message is shown, or you cannot get these site certification procedures to work, you have almost certainly arrived at a fraudulent site.
