The holiday season is just around the corner, and millions of people will be looking for the perfect Christmas gift online. Be careful though - with so many people gearing up for the online holiday shopping season, cyber-criminals are preparing themselves too.
The internet is a very safe and convenient place to shop if you are careful about where you shop, how you shop and if the computer you are using is secure and free from spyware. Here are a few tips to help you stay safe while shopping online this holiday season:
- The first thing you need to do is ensure your computer is safe to use for shopping. If you are using a Windows operating system, make sure your PC is up to date with all security patches. If you have automatic updates turned on (recommended), you should be up to date IF you’ve been allowing Windows to install all the updates it downloads. If you haven’t, choose “yes” the next time Windows asks if you want to install the updates. If not using Windows automatic update service, go to the Windows Update website and allow your computer to be scanned for needed updates. These updates are designed to “plug” security holes that malicious software and criminals use to steal your personal information and infiltrate your PC.
- Make sure you are using the most up-to-date version of internet browser. For Internet Explorer, the most current version is 7, which has recently been released and will only work with Windows XP systems and higher. If you are running an older version of Windows, be sure you are using IE 6. Windows Explorer 7 includes a lot of new security features that will help protect you from potentially dangerous websites and will warn you about possible phishing scams. You can download it for free from the Microsoft website.
- The next thing to do is to scan your computer for any instances of dangerous spyware, and remove it. Spyware gets installed secretly when you open certain email attachments, visit certain websites or download certain free software. A large percentage of spyware is designed to steal your personal data such as credit card numbers, bank account information and passwords. You certainly don’t want to be shopping online with hidden spyware on your system. There are a lot of free spyware scanners you can use,but be careful where you get them because many criminals disguise spyware as free antispyware software. Check the resources at the bottom of this article for information on safe, free spyware scanning and removal tools.
- Make sure the store you are shopping at has an address and phone number published on their website. This is your assurance that this s a “real” business. Call the phone number just to make sure it’s legit.
- Always use a major credit card when shopping online. Purchases made with a credit card normally include fraud protection, which will reimburse you for losses if you never receive the product you ordered.
- When you’ve found the items you want to buy and begin the checkout process, make sure your personal information is safe by looking for signs of a secure checkout. Look at the address bar on the web page and make sure the address begins with “https:”. Also look in the lower corner of your browser window and make sure there is a padlock icon. These are both signs that the vendor is using encrypted security on their website. This is your assurance that your personal information is transmitted and stored in a secure format.
By following these guidelines, you should be able to enjoy a safe online shopping experience.
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