Starting last Tuesday, Microsoft’s Edge and Internet Explorer browsers started warning users about websites using the older SHA-1 security protocol. All the major browser makers have been recently begun phasing out support for this method of proving a webpage is secure. SHA-1 is mainly just a victim of its age. As our computers have gotten more and more powerful, older encryption standards like SHA-1 have to be discarded and replaced. So, if you see a warning about the security of a site you visit often, it might just be Microsoft doing its part to keep you safe on the internet.
That said, if you ever do see a security warning, double check what you are doing and how you got to that webpage. This is especially important to do if you just followed a link from an email, social media post, or untrustworthy webpage. Often times your browser knows what it is talking about when it puts up a warning. Sure, it may just be telling you about a site using an older security standard, but it might also be preventing you from giving out important personal information to a fake site that was made to look like a site you often visit.
Stay safe out there, and take comfort that Microsoft (and the other major web browser developers) are doing their part to help keep you protected.