December 2007
Volume 2, Issue 12
Online Shopping
From the Desk of Dan Srebnick and New York City’s Information Security Team
Shopping online makes it easy to find amazing deals. $99 for that GPS navigation device that everyone else is selling for $299-I have to buy it. The website looks legitimate even though it's a website I've never heard of before. It should be secure. Should I trust it? When shopping at unreputable sites you risk losing money, giving away your personal information, and not getting the merchandise that you ordered.
Below are some tips to follow for a safe online shopping experience.
The Bigger the Name, the Better the Protection.
You are safest when doing business with a reputable company. If you are not familiar with the company, use a search engine to investigate customer reviews of the seller. Consider website rating services or product locator services on the Internet. Be wary of unrealistic low prices that seem too good to be true. They may be an attempt to trick you into clicking on a malicious link or giving away your personal information.
Pay with a Credit Card.
Pay with a Credit Card.
While most sites have several payment options (PayPal, Money Order, Cashiers check, debit card, credit card, etc.), the best option is a credit card since you have protections built into the card. In cases of an incorrect charge you have the ability to dispute the charge and federal law limits your liability to $50 for fraudulent charges. Other payment options such as a debit card pull the money directly from your bank account. It can potentially take a lengthy period of time to dispute a debit card charge and you may not get your money back if the dispute is not resolved in your favor.
It Can Be Bad to Share.
Try to do your shopping from a personal machine. Avoid shared machines like the ones found at Internet cafes. Don't enable automatic login for any shopping site. Doing this allows anyone who has access to your computer to make a purchase just by going to the site.
Use Strong Passwords.
When creating passwords for online accounts, use at least eight characters, with numbers, special characters, and upper and lower case letters whenever possible. Don't use the same password for online shopping websites that you use for non-shopping websites, or for computer programs on your local computer. Never use obvious passwords or share logins and passwords.
Update Your Software.
Before you shop online, ensure you have the most current security software updates available for your operating system, applications and browser. Set your default settings to "auto update."
Ensure "Pay Online" Transactions are Secure.
Ensure "Pay Online" Transactions are Secure.
Secure transactions use encryption technology that scrambles sensitive information so it can only be read by the intended recipient-in this case the merchant. Be sure the website's address begins with "https:" in the address field when you are ready to enter payment and personal information. A closed yellow padlock should appear at the bottom of the browser's status bar to let you know that your data will be encrypted. Do not send financial payment or credit card information through email. Email is not a secure way to send sensitive information.
Be Suspicious.
Do not provide bank account or Social Security numbers to complete an online transaction. Be wary of anyone who requests this type of information online.
Be Suspicious.
Do not provide bank account or Social Security numbers to complete an online transaction. Be wary of anyone who requests this type of information online.
Understand the Website's "Privacy Policy."
Read the website's privacy policy: how will the company use your personal information? Be suspicious if a website's privacy policy is nonexistent. Research and understand what the seller does with your private information. If you can't find this information, shop at another website.
Use Temporary Account Authorizations when Available.
Some credit card companies may offer virtual or temporary credit card authorization numbers. This kind of service gives you use of a secure and unique account number for each online transaction. These numbers are often issued for a short period of time and cannot be used after that period. Contact your credit card company to see if they offer this service.
General Shopping Tips
Understand the "terms" of the transaction. When shopping online, understand the terms of the transaction, including incentives, shipping and/or handling costs, return or exchange policies and timelines, restocking or return costs, product quality claims, minimum purchase limits, etc.
Understand the "terms" of the transaction. When shopping online, understand the terms of the transaction, including incentives, shipping and/or handling costs, return or exchange policies and timelines, restocking or return costs, product quality claims, minimum purchase limits, etc.
Keep a good paper trail.
Keep copies of all transactions including the product description, price, the online receipt, any emails you exchanged leading up to and including the transaction.
Check your credit card and bank statements regularly.
Check or reconcile your credit card and bank statements regularly. Immediately report any anomalies or transactions you didn't make to your credit card company or bank.
The only way to log onto this website is to use your OUTLOOK username and password. If you don't have an OUTLOOK account, please see Mr. Friedman. ACUITY identifies the students strengths, short term weaknesses and long term weaknesses. Please attend the lunchtime PD's. PD dates TBA soon.
