TIPS for a safe and secure online shopping

Doing shopping in the comfort of your home or office or just by sitting on a bus or train station? Why not! No long lines nor be in a crowded place.

Nowadays, online shopping is becoming more relevant most especially for those individuals who have a very busy schedule and cannot afford to go to the mall or places to buy things that they need. Another good thing with online shops, they do offer quite a lower price compared to mall prices. Online shopping saves you a lot of time especially in dealing with traffic and standing up in long lines to pay for your stuff.

But, the question is… Is it safe to do online shopping? Aren’t you compromising your personal information every time you do online shopping?

Today, we will give you tips on how to stay safe and secure when doing online shopping.

Here we go…

1. Shop only in secure websites

Online shops can be found anywhere – it is all over the internet. Most of the time, you can find their ads when using social media sites. The only thing you should keep in mind to know if the site is secured or not is their web address. Secure websites start with https://, the “s” signifies that it is a secured website. Another security tip is; when you open a browser, you will see a lock icon on the bottom right corner of the SSL certified webpage.

2. Use a debit card or better choose COD (cash-on-delivery)

It is better to use a credit card instead of a debit card or wire transfer when shopping online. As per federal law, it allows the consumer to dispute the charges to their credit card companies the purchases made when the card was compromised. In addition to that, most credit card companies offer “zero liability” policies to their cardholders if the card got compromised. And, if there is an option for COD or cash-on-delivery, that is a good option as you are not obliged to enter your financial information.

3. Update your software or mobile apps

Always remember, update your software, mobile apps, and browsers whenever it is available. Updated software and apps will give you more protection and security from hackers. Make sure that you are using the latest version of your operating system, software, apps, and most especially your antivirus software before doing online shopping.

4. “Think before you click”

Be smart when doing online shopping. Don’t get fool by the promises or freebies that online shops are offering. Be aware of the flowery words that they are using to get customers or to get a sale. Always remember, if the seller is giving you a “good to be true” deal, think about it over and over again because there’s always a “catch” attached to that.

5. Download the shops’ mobile app

When you are using your mobile device to do online shopping, it is safer to download and use the shops’ official and legitimate mobile app instead of using a web browser from your mobile phone. Do not click any link that will pop-up when using mobile apps. Mobile apps have ads too, do not click the ads if you find it malicious because this is what hackers are using to get your information.

6. Never save your personal information online

Some online shops have the “save information” option on their “checkout” page where you input your personal information. Never save your personal and financial information online. This will keep you safe from identity theft and hackers.

SUMMARY:

Shopping online is a fun and stress-free activity, but if you don’t know how to stay safe and secure while shopping will give you tons of headache. Always remember, hackers are everywhere and sometimes they disguised in the form of online shops to get their victims.

Enjoy online shopping and be safe and secure!!!

For any I.T. related concern, feel free to contact our team – Jackson Technologies. You can call us at (412) 853-3708 or shoot us an email at [email protected].

“We do I.T. so you don’t have to”