The Dangers of Online Shopping and How to Stay Safe
Have you had your wallet, credit card, or even identity stolen? It can be a nightmare to say the least. Technology is advancing by the day and security is becoming a very serious issue. In 2016 alone I’ve had multiple friends have their credit card information – and hundreds of dollars – stolen. Identity theft can occur in many different ways, but one of the most common is through online shopping. Jason Ford, CTO of BlackMesh says “Millions of pieces of vital, sensitive information are exchanged online every day – and not all of them are as secure as they should be. The amount of sensitive data stored or exchanged online is on the rise, and so is the ease at which hackers can access that info if it is left unsecured.”
It is especially important to be selective in where you shop online. If retailers don’t take proper security measures to keep your information safe, they can become targeted by hackers. Not only that, but fraudulent retailers who ask for personal information (such as your social security number or credit card info) can either sell that information or use it to steal your identity. They may even send out e-mails containing malware to steal your files and return them only in exchange for a ransom.
The scariest part is that in the event of a theft it can be very difficult or even impossible for law enforcement to help. Criminals use advanced programs like Bitcoin to conduct ransoms anonymously. Even our government isn’t entirely safe. In 2011, city servers in Plainfield, N.J. were locked for a ransom which resulted in the loss of important files. This is why Ford says that prevention is critical: “Whether it’s your own data or your customers’, it needs to be protected. Without this guarantee, you risk losing your customers’ trust, brand image, and money.”
Luckily, there are steps we can all take to prevent attacks from happening. When shopping online, here are a few things to keep in mind:
To avoid spam and e-mails that are potentially dangerous – Create a secondary e-mail purely for use when shopping online. I do this and it really does prevent junk from flooding your regular e-mail and keep you headache-free!
To avoid purchasing fake or damaged goods – Be wary of very low prices. If something is selling for a fraction of its regular price, that’s a good hint that it might not be legit. Do some research to see if the seller has a clean history.
To avoid installing unwanted software or adware onto your computer – Never purchase from third-party sellers. Always go directly to the source, and be sure to download an antivirus program. That way, you can scan the items you download before opening them to detect anything malicious.
To prevent identity theft – Before shopping online and giving away your information, do your research. Make sure the seller has a solid track record. It’s also important to avoid opening suspicious-looking e-mails. Finally, be wary of websites that seem to be asking for too much information. It’s better to be safe rather than sorry!
Of course, it is especially important to keep these things in mind as a seller. If you run an online business, you have to keep your customer’s security in mind. This can easily be done with a service like BlackMesh. According to Ford, “Our advanced security offerings are designed to optimize speed and agility, and include high performance technologies to protect your information from threats and breaches. Owning and operating the underlying infrastructure gives BlackMesh the ability to monitor every aspect of the cloud environment from the data center floor up to the client’s application. When it comes to security, BlackMesh devotes the time, energy, and resources to protect our client’s assets from exposure.”
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Interesting and good tips to follow, like a separate e-mail.
ReplyDeleteGood and interesting tips for CC security. I never thought to have a separate email. Thanks!
ReplyDeletegreat tips! thank you
ReplyDeleteGood tips and never thought about a separate email.
ReplyDeleteGood tips and never thought about a separate email.
ReplyDeleteI've had my information stolen online by someone using a ,Trojan virus . It was a terrible experience for sure
ReplyDeleteI don't normally do any buying or billing online. I find the person to person interaction and less chance of something bad happening is worth the extra effort.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome,we need more of this type of protection theft is so out if hand
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome,we need more of this type of protection theft is so out if hand
ReplyDeleteSorry I do not trust any on line banking,credit cards,or things of that nature.All these can be hacked.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of this before, but it sure sounds like a great idea, esp if you have to use wifi.
ReplyDeleteI've been buying & selling on eBay since 2008 and always use a separate email and Paypal. So far, so good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for these tips on online shopping. I'm still hesitant to shop certain sites, but your tips give me a little peace of mind that I can shop online safely.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of this before, but it sure sounds like something I could of used last year when my Facebook/email accounts were hacked
ReplyDeleteI've not heard of Blackmesh - but certainly they are providing a valuable service. We've had a card number stolen before, and fortunately the company called us, realizing that a $750 shoe purchase from Zappos sent to an address in New Jersey was NOT a normal thing for our card. : )
ReplyDeleteI hate hearing that a company I buy from has been hacked - they never seem to care much about it. This boggles me, you'd figure they'd be more cautious about their rep.
ReplyDeleteM