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Online shopping is big business these days, with more and more consumers across the world turning to the world wide web to purchase goods. This is especially the case in countries where e-commerce is really taking hold over the way people shop.
Needless to say, this has caught the attention of cybercriminals who are keen on exploiting individuals benefitting from the convenience, affordability and choice that make the Internet a compelling place.
With that in mind, here are five top tips on how to stay safe and secure when shopping online.
Stick with trusted brands that have a good reputation: Sticking with popular brands is as good as any advice when shopping online. Not only do you know what you are getting by way of quality and price, but you also feel more confident that these well-established names have in place robust security measures. However, be careful, as fraudsters often create fake and professional-looking websites to lure unsuspecting victims. Their efforts can be quite remarkable, as researchers at Google and the University of San Diego found last year. They observed how high-quality phishing sites are so effective that they have a 45 per cent success rate at extracting data. For average-looking fakes, that figure drops down to 14 per cent.
Use credit cards and secure payment services instead of debit cards: As a general rule, credit cards, in comparison to debit cards, offer consumers additional protection when shopping online. The main advantage is that a credit card account is in no way linked to whatever funds you actually own. And that is not all – there are other benefits too.
“Unlike debit cards, credit cards may have a limit on the monetary amount you will be responsible for paying if your information is stolen and used by someone else,” explains Stay Safe Online, a National Cyber Security initiative.
Likewise, using secure online payment services like that offered by PayPal are advisable. The advantage with these providers is that they act as a kind of middle man, whereby you deliver payment to them and they then pass this on to the retailer. Your bank details always remain unseen.
Look for the “https” URL and the padlock symbol: HTTPS, which was developed by Netscape, is an online safety protocol that encrypts information so that data can be kept private and protected. In most cases, the text in the URL is preceded by a padlock symbol (if this is missing, the website should be treated with caution).
The ‘S’ in HTTPS, incidentally, stands for secure. Websites that use HTTPS cause data sent between the site and your web browser to be encrypted through the use of TLS (transport layer security). That means that any information, such as your credit card details, cannot be intercepted in plaintext form by an external attacker. Note that using HTTPS does not say anything about the reputability of the site receiving the data.
Be wary of dodgy offers that are too good to be true: We have all come across a legitimately unbelievable offer and jumped at it with enthusiasm, glad to have been afforded the opportunity to purchase something at a fraction of its true cost. But that is rare. The old adage “if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is” should inform how you shop online – caution is required because there are plenty of scammers looking to hook you in with tempting offers. In some cases, the perpetrators are looking to simply infect your device.
Opt for your mobile phone network over public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi is unquestionably something we as consumers now expect. From shops to cafes to restaurants, being able to access the Internet with little or no cost is in tune with our connected way of living.
However, when it comes to buying online, all the convenience that comes with public Wi-Fi can be overshadowed by the many risks associated with this service. You would be surprised at how unsecure many hotspots actually are and how easy they are to attack. There are ample solutions to resolving the vulnerabilities associated with public Wi-Fi, but, in general, when out and about, opt to use data provided by your network provider when going online.
