Are you interested to do shopping online? Then what are the best and safest ways to do it?
Online shopping carries many risks with itself.
So now what are the ways to save your money as well as ensure a safe transaction while you are shopping online?
Now a day’s passwords are easily cracked; so following are some tips which will be useful to you at the time of online shopping.
1. Keep your Operating System & Softwares Updated
Install the latest security updates
Before beginning to shop online, it is vital that your computer is running with the latest anti-virus or anti-spyware software.
Set the programs to update automatically or set it to remind you after some days so that if you forget it will be easier for you to update it. Also do install a firewall.
Always update your Web Browser
Your security software is not the only thing that requires periodic updates, keep in mind about your browser too. Yes it’s true that your browser also needs to be updated with the latest versions and security patches.
Check your browser’s security settings and apply the highest level of security that is available.
2. Secure your Shopping Transactions
If you are planning to purchase anything online then only shop from online retailers you trust. Before you enter any of your personal data look for the “lock” icon in your browser’s status bar, and use “https” rather than simply “http” in the website address bar for more security.
[Image Credit : Lasse]
It is also essential that you check out the privacy policy of each and every website that you are planning to shop on.
By finding the information you can come to know about the merchant and also about your information that is collected & where it is stored, how it will be used by them, etc.
If you want to get online benefits or cheap deals then search for electronics discount codes to avail discounts related to electronics, similarly search for other product discount codes as well.
3. Avoid public computers
If you are accessing from the library then it’s fine but never do online shopping from any public computers.
There are chances that your information can be misused very easily and it also contains malicious software that can steal your private and confidential / credit card information.
There are criminals who are experts in accessing it from public wireless Internet just to steal credit card numbers and other details.
4. Create strong Passwords
Never use same passwords for all your accounts. Always use a combination of numeric and alphabetic security codes that it cannot be easily traced. Make it as much difficult as you can. Also use special characters for passwords.
5. Pay by Credit Card
Credit card transactions are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act, while debit card transactions are not. Generally, credit card holders are liable only for up to $50 in unauthorized charges.
On the other side, an online criminal could clean your complete bank account if he has your debit card number (of course pin number and other verification codes too).
Just remember to pay your credit card bill off entirely each month, if you can. You shouldn’t go into debt for the holidays.
So do you use these precautious measures when shopping online ?