Hopefully most websites you encounter are legitimate. There are two quick ways to tell, plus one that requires just a little more legwork. 1. URLs beginning with “https” means the website is a secured site. That means it’s encrypted using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates that protect private data traveling between a data server and a web browser. 2. In addition, some sites are independently certified to be secure by displaying trustmarks such as the Norton Secured Seal (managed by DigiCert), or the McAfee Secure certification (managed by TrustedSite). In China, an ICP (Internet Content Provider) license indicates that a site is registered with the government and allowed to operate.