The Illusion of Security in E-Commerce: Understanding the Lock Icon

The little lock icon that appears in your Web browser's window is supposed to prove you are engaging in a safe transaction. But it may be nothing more than a visual placebo. The icon is intended to indicate that information is . . . The little lock icon that appears in your Web browser's window is supposed to prove you are engaging in a safe transaction. But it may be nothing more than a visual placebo. The icon is intended to indicate that information is being encrypted as it moves from your computer to the e-commerce site's computer. But complete and uncrackable encryption of outgoing and incoming information may not always take place every time the lock appears on your computer's screen. And safe arrival at the site's servers doesn't guarantee your information is safe forever. Experts say that once the data arrives at the e-commerce site, it's often stored decrypted on the site's servers.

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