Secure web browsing

Your browser has built-in security features that you can use to help protect you and your computer.

Keep your browser updated

It’s important that you use the most recent version of your web browser by enabling automatic software updates. 

Set your browser security settings to 'high'

On most browsers, you can adjust the security settings. Keep them set to ‘high’ and adjust downward as necessary for your internet use. The ‘high’ security setting may prevent some websites from functioning properly, so use the highest setting that still allows for effective web browsing.

Ensure any websites you provide sensitive information to (e.g. banking, personal information) are secure: 

• Make sure the domain name is correct - Often phishing websites will create fake websites with a URL very similar to the website it is trying to scam. Look for small nuances or differences in the URL which may be very hard to notice. 

  For example, the legitimate site is https://learning.linkedin.com/content-library

  A scammer may alter it to http://learning.1linkedin.com/content-library

• Check the URL starts with HTTPS rather than HTTP - The ‘s’ stands for 'secure' and indicates that it is an encrypted channel.

• Look for the lock icon next to the URL section (the specific position may vary between browsers) - you can click on this icon to obtain further information about the security of the website, such as the security certificate.

Occasionally, you may receive a pop-up warning that a website is insecure or a certificate error. If this occurs, you can no longer trust the website and should avoid entering any sensitive information on this site.

If this happens on a website in which you need to enter sensitive information, contact the website administration to fix the error before entering any information.

Don't use the ‘remember’ function within browsers for passwords, especially for passwords that give access to financial or personal information, like your banking, social networking and UQ accounts. 

UQ recommends the use of a password manager to help you manage your passwords safely.