For safe online shopping!

Since this is the last blog of this semester, I thought why not write about a topic that is so in during the holiday season.  Next week, it’s all about shopping for the best deals that many look forward to since the beginning of the year.  Many of you will plan to form long lines early in the morning in front of your favorite stores to get the best deals of the season. Some even arrange tents to sit in and avoid the cold or tiresomeness. Some prefer shopping from their home comforts, shopping online. While doing this, they should be well aware of the cyber risks that come with it. 

With so many retailers posting huge hoardings and advertisements about the savings that consumer can have during the “Black Friday”, not many pay attention to the internet attacks that are possible while shopping online. According to the statistic analysis by TRUSTe, an Internet privacy services provider, 25% of the purchases are usually done online not only from their computers but through Mobile web too. Let me consolidate below some measures that need to be taken by deal hunters as put up by Paypal, Trend Micro, and Amazon:

1.       Use a more secure and tough to break password for the shopping websites

2.       Investing on the best antimalware and antivirus protection

3.       Being aware of the “looks so good deals” – like an ipad worth $100. Come on, its just common sense   that is needed to distinguish such deals

4.       Avoiding less heard about sites for better deals

5.       Contacting your credit or debit card banks to find out if they have any form of additional authentication to avoid any frauds

6.       Avoiding shopping using public Wi-Fi or a PC in public places

Hopefully, cyber criminals get a day off, while consumers take care of all the above methods. Regardless of these risks, am sure all shoppers will have to do some homework to hunt around for best deals.