Have you ever noticed that tiny padlock icon sitting right next to a website address in your web browser? Or perhaps you've noticed that some web links start with http:// while others start with https://.

That extra letter "S" stands for Secure, and it is powered entirely by the encryption magic we talked about yesterday.

When you shop online, check your bank balance, or type your password into a website, that data has to travel from your home computer, across the vast internet highway, to the website's computers.

• If a website uses standard HTTP: Your credit card numbers or passwords travel out in the open. A clever hacker sitting on the same public Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop could theoretically intercept that traffic and read your numbers plain as day.
• If a website uses HTTPS: The moment you press "Submit," your computer wraps your information in an encrypted vault. It travels across the internet completely scrambled. Even if a cybercriminal intercepts it, they can't decode it. Only the bank or store on the other end has the digital key to unpack it.

Checking for that little padlock icon is one of the easiest habits you can build to keep your identity safe. Before you ever type a password, credit card number, or home address into a website, glance up at the very top left of your browser window. If the padlock is locked, your connection is secure. If your browser warns you that a site is "Not Secure," close the tab immediately.