The holiday season is now upon us. Although Black Friday is still officially four days away, several online retailers such as Amazon have already begun offering sharply discounted products. While browsing catalogues from your computer is much more convenient than braving the traditional Black Friday mobs, it’s important to keep your financial information safe from hackers. Here are five steps you can take to securely shop online and keep your holiday season stress free.
1. Use a prepaid or single use card
Credit card theft is a huge problem that resulted in $11.27 billion worth of losses in 2012. Consumers can protect themselves from credit card theft by using prepaid or disposable cards for online shopping. Several credit card providers including Discover and Citibank offer single use credit card numbers that are tied to your account and allow you to shop without putting your main card number at risk. Security conscious shoppers can also load a set amount of money onto prepaid cards from services like Visa that aren’t linked to a credit account at all. Both security measures isolate the financial information of the customer in the event that the disposable card is compromised.
2. Shop on secure websites
When shopping online, only provide account information on websites with Secured Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. SSL is a web standard that ensures a secure connection between a server and client computer and prevents third parties from accessing the session remotely.
Websites that utilize SSL encryption will generally include a green lock icon in the address bar before the web address.
3. Antivirus software
Antivirus software is another important tool in the fight against cybercriminals. Hackers often use malware to obtain personal information, so choose an effective antivirus solution before making online purchases.
Several free security utilities, including offerings from AVG, Avast and Symantec, provide antivirus and firewall features. However, consumers should use caution when downloading and installing programs, especially on a computer that will be used for online shopping.
4. Avoid phishing
As important as antivirus is for secure online shopping, social engineering attacks can be even more dangerous than malware. Be wary of email offers that redirect to insecure web pages or that ask for private details like your social security number in order to redeem a sale or prize; hackers can use this information for identity theft.
5. Trusted Sites
Although it’s always tempting to find the best deal, limit yourself to reputable sites only. Scam websites are increasingly prevalent around the holidays as hackers try to trick budget conscious shoppers into giving up their personal information. Consumers can read online reviews or use services such as the Better Business Bureau to verify the legitimacy of an online retailer.
