When I attempt to visit bacomputer.net and certain other websites I get this message that the site is not secure. Does that mean the website is dangerous?
NO. What it means is the website has chosen not to encrypt the data on it’s site. If you inspect the address line you will see either an http:// or an https:// prefix to the website address. The S in the latter means that the site is using technology to encrypt every page of it’s site before it is delivered to your web browser, which then decrypts and displays the page. The process of encryption-decryption uses more resources both on the server and on your computer slowing things down slightly.
The best reason to encrypt pages is IF AND ONLY IF there is data being entered. If no data is being entered, then no matter how many potential eavesdroppers there might be, all they will ever see is the website itself, which is already published for viewing — Let them eavesdrop to their heart’s content!
In fact, www.bacomputer.net site is not designed to receive information from any third party — it is strictly informational only. However, when you click on a link under the Payments menu, you are immediately redirected to a SECURE website (check the https:// ) into which it is indeed safe to enter financial information for processing payments.
Once you know a particular site is safe (albeit deliberately not encrypted for practical reasons), you may add it to your “safe” list in the web browser you are using, whether that be Firefox, Edge, Chrome, or some other web browser. The procedure to do this varies, but usually when you get the warning message, a link or button is presented that will go directly into the section of settings where you can manually add, bacomputer.net, to the Allowed or Exception section.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The makers of web browsers are engaged in a type of content censorship. They are dictating to you what they deem to be safe rather than allowing you to decide for yourself.
