I use Google Chrome to log into Classic Oldsmobile. I just notice there's a (!) symbol next to the email addy. I also noticed if I logged into other websites, I get the same (!) next to the email addy. Is the other website not secured or its my laptop?

 

I think you mean you see a something in the browser URL? This would be because this site uses http instead of https. What this means is that traffic going to and from this site is not encrypted. So if you log into the site, theoretically if someone is on your same wifi network (i.e. starbucks wifi, etc), they can see the data you are passing through your session and the site in plain text. Sites that use HTTPS indicate that this traffic is encrypted. I wouldn't be overly concern since there is no billing information on this site. If you use the same log in here as you do as your bank account, well, thats another problem.

Setting up a site for https is very cheap and easy to do. The host should do that. ;-)

 

Yes, in the URL browser. I never seen this before or I never realized it. So, its even safe to go to ebay, Rock Auto, etc?

 

You should have this in your browser when visiting anything order related at Rock Auto. Some sites like Amazon start you out in a secure session. Other websites that don't default to https: can sometimes be manually changed (and then bookmarked for easier access.)

Like Joffroi says, it really only matters if you are on a public network and are typing in sensitive information like your password. Best to avoid public networks when you can.

 

True, but now even newspapers have adopted a standard to encrypt every page, just to make it harder for people to spy on what you say and read.

It would be entirely reasonable for IB to encrypt by default. Pretty much everyone does these days.

On another note, last week I wanted to order some Chinese takeout where I was working.
I went to their site and saw I could place the whole order on line. I had completed the order and was about to press the Send button, when I saw that the page was not encrypted, and was sending my credit card number in the clear.
I squeeked my finger to a halt in midair above the button and hit the Back button to see if there were other options. That brought me to the previous page, with an error message, which was in CHINESE.
I messed around a bit, and ALL of the site's error messages were in Chinese.

I called them and ordered on the phone.

- Eric

 

Google even docks pages that dont support https which makes it even more shocking that IB hasn't gotten their act together on it. Surely they don't want to lose any potential traffic.

Don't worry, when you visit my site https://www.oldsmobilecentral.com/, you're traffic will be safe and secure