Safe Online Shopping

Recent events and the increased availability of goods and services through retailer websites have resulted in a dramatic rise in the number of consumers shopping online. Unfortunately, scammers and hackers are taking advantage of this surge in the population of potential victims. There are some simple actions shoppers can take to prevent their sensitive information, and possibly their identities, from being stolen and to protect their devices from being compromised.

First, Update Your Devices

Make sure that any computer, smart phone, or tablet you use to access the Internet has the most recent software and security updates installed. This is important whether you are shopping or just surfing. Known bugs and other vulnerabilities are fixed with software updates and, as new malware is discovered, anti-malware software is updated to prevent these malicious applications from being installed. Cyber criminals will create seemingly harmless websites and do their best to divert shoppers to those sites where their devices will become infected if not properly patched. A malware infection may allow hackers to steal sensitive information, like credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal data. Enabling automatic updates of your devices’ operating systems and your malware protection software is a good idea.

Only Use Secure Networks

Never shop using a public Wi-Fi connection unless you are also using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN creates a secure tunnel through which your sensitive data will travel, preventing those who may be intercepting traffic on the public network from grabbing yours. There are some free and paid for VPN options out there, but do your research before you install anything free. Generally, if you install a free app, there ends up being information collected from your device by the app. You may not even know it unless you read the entire “terms of use” agreement before installing the app. The simplest solution is to shop from a secure network rather than using public Wi-Fi.

Go Directly to Trusted Vendor Sites

Try to do your online shopping using the sites of vendors you trust. Go directly to their sites rather than clicking on links to get there. Scammers can easily spoof the address of a well-known vendor in a link on a malicious site or in an email. The link may appear to be the same as the address of the trusted vendor’s site, but the underlying address is different. You can often see this by hovering your pointer over the link. If you receive an email that appears to be from a retailer you trust letting you know about a great deal on an item you may want, simply go directly to the retailer’s site rather than clicking a link in that email.

Make Sure the Site Uses Encryption

When you are on a site, make sure the site is using encryption. This means that the traffic between your browser and the site is encoded and cannot be decoded and read if it is intercepted by a hacker. You can tell if a site is using encryption if the site address (URL) begins with HTTPS rather than HTTP. A closed padlock in the upper left corner of your browser next to the address bar also indicates encryption is in use. An unlocked padlock or HTTP with no S indicates the site is not secured by encryption. You should never enter any personal or sensitive data on an unencrypted site.

Credit Cards Offer More Protection

Using a credit card as opposed to a debit card to do your online shopping provides an extra layer of protection against fraud. Banks and credit card providers limit the card holder’s liability when charges are fraudulently applied to a credit card, but that protection doesn’t necessarily apply in a fraudulent debit card transaction. Additionally, if a cyber criminal is able to capture your debit card number, expiration date, and Card Verification Value (CVV) number, your bank account could end up being drained before you know it.

Use Different Passwords for Every Account

Using different passwords for each of your online accounts (and your devices as well) is always a good idea. If one retailer’s database is compromised, your credentials are stolen, and you have five other accounts, perhaps including your bank account, that use the same password, you may suffer significant losses before you ever find out about the breach. If your argument against using that many different passwords is that you cannot remember them all, you may want to look into using a password manager. They are easy to find and research online.

Review the Retailer’s Privacy Policy

Regarding data breaches, even large, well-established retailers fall victim to them occasionally. These retailers should have links on their sites where you can take a look at their privacy policies. You can review the policy to find out what information they are storing about their customers and how they use and share that information.

Check Your Account Statements for Suspicious Activity

Finally, frequently checking your account and bank statements for any irregularities or unauthorized charges could alert you to fraudulent transactions early. If you see something suspicious, contact the bank, credit card company, or retailer immediately. Call your local police department as well so that they can begin an investigation. You may also want to look into obtaining an identity theft protection policy now rather than taking a chance that you will never become a victim.

Shopping online has many benefits as well as risks. Criminals are constantly coming up with new ways to steal your information, your identity, and your money. Cyber security professionals are continuously analysing the latest scams and vulnerabilities and offering fixes and recommendations to protect consumers. Following the simple guidelines in this article may not guarantee that you will never fall victim to a cyber crime, but they will make it far more difficult for the criminals to succeed.