Secure? Yes, Sir!

This was written in May: it has not been revised and a new version published. When we visit our parishes’ website many of our browsers warn “This site is not secure”. It is as secure as such a site needs to be. If we were to, for instance, open this site, (or any site on the web with http:// at the start of it), then we would be ill advised to use the site to give personal details, pay money, or do banking. But that is NOT WHAT THIS SITE IS! It is merely a low level source of information.

Sites which have a slightly different URL (with https:// at the start of it) are the only ones we should use for entering secure data. If you are asked to check your paypal account or log in to your bank then you are putting your money at risk if you have been offered an http: site rather than an https: site. In fact NEVER use the site offered in an email to start transacting business. It could easily be a phishing site designed to get your login details so that a “bold person” from somewhere else coud pretend to be you. . . . No, come out of the email, type in the correct URL, and go from there.

The internet can be safe enough for sensible people who are acting with wisdom and foresight, but we are not always sensible and sometimes act foolishly, so even if you think it won’t happen to you, it probably will.

Following consultation with the provider of our server space we have been assured that for parish website use the ‘not secure’ page is secure enough.