Security Center

Resources
Safer Web Browsers: Internet Explorer 7 Colors
Color-coded convenience
Learn the colors of the IE7 address bar.
  • Red with "Phishing Website" warning - This is a phishing site that has been reported to Microsoft.
  • What to do - Stop browsing on this page, and don't enter any personal information.
  • Red with "Certificate Error" warning - The webpage's credentials do not match, or are invalid, and a problem exists with the encryption certificate.
  • What to do - PayPal pages never have a red address bar. Verify the URL. If it's still red, go to Report Fake Site/Spoof.
  • White - A page that is not supposed to request or display personal information. White is the address bar color of some PayPal pages.
  • What to do - Avoid entering sensitive personal information.
  • White with lock - On PayPal, you will never see a white address bar and a lock.
  • What to do - Avoid entering sensitive personal information.
  • Yellow with "Suspicious Website" warning - Based on IE7 phishing filters, this webpage may be fraudulent.
  • What to do - PayPal pages never have a yellow address bar. Don't browse further or enter any personal information. Instead, go to Report Fake Site/Spoof and we'll investigate.
  • Green - The webpage's credentials - including ownership, country of origin, and certification authority - have been confirmed. The communication is encrypted.
  • What to do - PayPal pages asking for sensitive information (passwords or bank and credit card account numbers) will display four elements. Make sure you see all four before entering personal information:
  1. Green address bar
  2. Lock icon
  3. PayPal name
  4. VeriSign name
Note: VeriSign issued PayPal's Extended Validation SSL certificate.
Safer browsers are only a start
Even though IE7 contains safeguards, you should always check the URL carefully when you visit a website. Find out more from the Safer Web Browsers Overview and Safer Web Browsers FAQ.
Additional resources
To learn more Online Safety Essentials, go to:

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