Secure connection

Updated: 05/06/2024 by Computer Hope

A secure connection is any connection that encrypts the data transmitted over it to help protect it from being intercepted and read by a third party. With a Wi-Fi wireless connection, a secure connection is any wireless connection that uses WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). If a Wi-Fi network uses no encryption, it's considered an "open network."

How to know if a website is a secure connection

When visiting a website, if the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for that website begins with "https," it's a secure connection. In some browsers, you may also see a shield or lock icon next to the URL in the address bar. Clicking the icon next to the start of the URL also shows you if the site is secure and its security certificate details.

Tip

Computer Hope's website is secure, and this page's URL (https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/secuconn.htm) is shown as a secure connection.

Encryption, HTTPS, Lock, Security terms, SSL, TLS