Internet security

I have just upgraded to Firefox 4.

Since then I have made a couple of purchases off the internet but have found that the little padlock is missing off the bottom of the screen when it is time to pay. There are notices saying it is secure.

Should I be worried about this and if so is there anything I can do?

No - do not worry. This is a change in FF4 - see

http://www.dancemania.biz/blog/where-has-the-padlock-icon-gone/

for information.

Thanks for that information Malka. It is reassuring. I am a bit wary about buying on the internet although people say it is no more prone to security problems than paying by cheque or over the phone.

Talassie, I have been buying online via the internet since I was first able to do so. There are some companies who are unable to supply to me in which case I look for a friend in the UK who will accept something ordered and mail it on to me, but only once was my International Visa card "snaffled" and used illegally, and that was picked up on within a matter of days.

Some idiot, and we never found out how they had gotten hold of my card number as the card is never out of my sight, or why it was accepted by BT, O2 and three different branches of Tesco, without any of them realising that the first four numbers indicate that the card was issued by an Israeli Bank, but my card was immediately withdrawn by Visa, shredded by me, and a new card issued within days. And the money refunded to my account.

Visa do not like their cards being used fraudulently. And no doubt neither do any other major credit card companies.

How that happened is immaterial as it was solved very quickly and I have no hesitation whatsoever in purchasing goods online. Padlock sign or no padlock sign, Firefox 4 indicates which sites are safe.

I guess it boils down to either you trust your credit card company to act if something untowards happens, or you never purchase anything online again.

Me? I trust Visa so I will carry on with my online purchases!