How to shop online safely

The internet has grown in the last decade into a technology that touches everybodies lives in some way or another. You can now do almost anything on the internet from keeping in contact with friends and family or doing your weekly shopping. But the internet is not without its problems and people need to be careful when doing business, shopping or giving any information out over the internet.

It is not difficult to be safe online, many things are just about taking notice of what you are doing and asking the right questions before doing anything.

Here are some general safety tips:

Security starts at home

When you are on the internet in anyway, be it email or browsing websites, you need to be safe. Antivirus and firewall software is a must, but that is not were safety stops. Your computer needs to be kept up to date. Bugs and security problems are found in software and operating systems all the time, and it is not difficult to keep up to date with the latest bug fixes. Your operating system should come with some way of keeping up to date with the latest bug fixes. You should be able to turn on automatic updates and if you can't or don’t want to, you should check for updates on a regular basis.

When it comes shopping online or if you need to give out personal information on the internet you must be careful of what computer you use and what internet connection you use. It is not recommended to do online banking on somebody else’s computer or at work. The problem with using unknown hardware or internet connections is that you can’t trust the tools you are using. It is very easy to forward people to fake websites. For example, a disgruntled IT administrator could very easily make a fake website and then force every body at work to get forwarded to his fake website instead of the real website. If you then want to do online banking and type in the website address of your bank the website comes up and everything appears to be correct, so you login but it comes back with an error saying "sorry we are experiencing technical problems please try again later". Even though everything appears correct to you, what you don’t know is that you have just typed in your login details into a fake website and your details have now been logged and sent to the disgruntled employee. After getting a couple of peoples login details he takes down the fake website and leaves the company.

You can still shop online or do online banking at work, as long as you are aware of the risks and if you can't successfully login or complete a transaction you should immediately phone the appropriate company and ask them if there is a problem and report the problem.

When using a credit card online, look for an unbroken key or padlock (a graphical icon usually located in the bottom corner of the web page or in the address bar), or for a policy that indicates use of strong security technology such as SSL. This indicates that your credit card data is transmitted securely. If the website address starts with https:// this is also an indication that encryption is being used.

Know the store

It is good practice to be familiar with the name or reputation of any company you are dealing with. You can often find helpful information about online companies from Internet news sources, directories, and rating services. If you are dealing with a company for the first time, it is always advisable to do some home work first. Find out what their physical address is or try phoning them. Search for the companies name in your favourite search engine (like Google or Yahoo).

Protect your information and privacy

When you need to fill in any personal information, ask yourself why that information is needed and how the company is going to use it. You can do this by checking the website to make sure there is a privacy policy posted, and ensure that you are comfortable with the way your personal information is treated under that policy. Look for seals from privacy enforcement organizations like TRUSTe or BBBOnLine. Be cautious if you are asked to supply personal information not needed to complete the transaction, such as your Social Security number, Identity number or personal bank account information.

Details

Collect any relevant information you can find or have received via email. Check for expected delivery dates, shipping and handling fees, warranties, return policies, and any other important information. Look for an email address to write to or a phone number to call. If you have any questions or problems, or if you need help do not hesitate to call or email the company about your queries, no matter how small or big your problem appears to be.

Make sure to print or save electronically any records related to your online transactions. This will help you keep track of shipping dates, shipping and handling fees, and other details of your transactions.

Use your Credit Card

It is good practice to pay with a credit card. You should be cautious if you are required to make payments in other ways, for example, wire transfers. With most Credit Cards, in most countries, you are protected by law and you should consult your Bank or Credit Card company as to the nature of your protection and the monetary value of the protection. Find out what you need to do to report fraud and lost/stolen cards.