Cybersecurity Awareness Month Quiz

Hi,

This is a good topic and I'm curious to see how the poll will evolve. For a bit more context, https is encrypted using 'Transport Layer Security' (TLS), securing communications between your computer and the websites you visit. Https is indicated by the small lock symbol that appears in front of the address line whenever you visit a website. The padlock usually means the site has a valid https certificate, the site domain is verified to match the name on the certificate, and the connection to the website is encrypted. In other words, the information exchanged between you and that domain is not in clear text, but encrypted. Unsafe domains are external links to websites that do not have a security certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority, have an unmatching or expired security certificate, and could contain phishing, malware, or unwanted software. So yes, that would be something to consider when you want to know if a page is trustworthy. And I think that a secure seal will strengthen the website's credibility, of course.

It is naturally recommended to do some due diligence and check the reviews for the respective website(s) or the products and services that interest us. However, when reading the reviews, I think we should keep in mind that they can be easily fabricated.

Scammers may use fake reviews to promote services that don’t exist or fail to deliver on promises, like fake vacation rentals, fraudulent contractors, or bogus online courses, etc. Some fake reviews may lead people to scam websites designed to collect personal information. For instance, a fake review of a "too-good-to-be-true" deal may direct victims to a malicious website where they are asked to input sensitive data. Fake positive reviews can lead people to purchase subpar or even harmful products that do not meet safety standards or have misleading descriptions. In extreme cases, people might invest in fake companies or fraudulent services based on falsified glowing reviews, leading to significant financial loss.

Of course, there's no reason to panic or be paranoid when reading reviews. If we learn how to spot them, we won't fall for them. Look for overly positive or generic language. Fake reviews often sound too enthusiastic or vague, without specifics of the product or service. That's definitely a red flag. Also look for patterns and repetition of phrases. Bots or paid reviewers may copy and paste similar wording across multiple reviews. Another red flag. Furthermore, a sudden influx of positive or negative reviews, especially within a short period, can indicate manipulation. On many platforms, verified purchase badges indicate the reviewer actually bought the product, though even these can sometimes be manipulated.

Now, I don't want to hijack @Flanksy's poll here, but I thought these things are worth mentioning, because in my opinion, the reviews alone shouldn't be a deciding factor when looking to find out if an online shopping website is trustworthy or not. Fake reviews are a common tactic in scamming, as they can easily mislead people into trusting something untrustworthy. It’s always wise to cross-check reviews from multiple sources and look for trusted platforms before making decisions. So, I think this would be the key takeaway here.

Cheers!