Digital shopping has become a global phenomenon. Nowadays, the convenience of shopping online has far overtaken the journeys to in-person stores. However, with this trend comes a colossal need for digital safety. Customers need to be safe when shopping online. With that being said, here are some ways you can protect yourself when shopping online.
Watch the URLs
Online shopping takes place on millions of websites. Store owners create URLS (online addresses) so consumers can find their store when shopping. However, security concerns arise when similar website URLS are made to distract shoppers from the real websites. These URLs can seem almost identical to consumers but have a different ending or wording that takes them to various, malicious destinations. This can be very dangerous for online shoppers as these unknown websites can steal information. To ensure you are on safe websites, check for the "https://" instead of just "http://". The “s” stands for secure, which indicates that the data transmitted from your browsers and the website’s server is encrypted. Furthermore, look for a padlock icon in the address bar of your browser. This symbol means that the website’s SSL certificate is valid and the connection is secure.
Avoid Phishing Scams
Phishing, by definition, is a malicious attempt to gain sensitive information by deceiving people. Many online shoppers fall prey to these attempts for their realistic appearances. Phishing often occurs with the impersonation of a trusted identity. Shoppers receive emails from sources claiming to be their banks, government agencies, or social media asking for verification of some sensitive information. Shoppers, seeing that the email and website look legitimate, unknowingly end up providing the information to hackers or whoever else is behind this scheme. Other examples of phishing include false emergencies. A hacker, posing as a caller, may extend urgency by claiming that if certain information isn't provided, the recipient’s account will be suspended. Customers may become alarmed and provide their information, falling into the hacker’s trap.
How do you protect yourself? The first step to avoiding phishing is to educate yourself on the various types of attempts. Next, navigate to the actual website of the identity rather than clicking links from emails. This will allow for a trusted connection to the actual identity in question. If you receive requests for financial or personal information, call the organization to confirm the requests are necessary and real. Remember to always think twice before clicking links, regardless of the temptation.
Set Strong Passwords
In today’s digital age, having a solid password has never been more important. Strong passwords are a primary defense against threats to our online accounts and personal information. Such a simple defense lowers the risk of hacking and identity theft for online shoppers. To protect yourself, we have some tips and tricks for creating a strong password. First, make your password lengthy (around 12 characters is recommended). Shorter passwords are easier to decipher so it is in your best interests to make them long. Next, incorporate a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, special symbols (such as @, #, %, and *), and numbers to create complexity in your password. It is preferable not to use simple passwords such as common words or personal information. Though a birthday month might be easily remembered, the likelihood of the password being deciphered is quite high. Additionally, it is important to have different, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Having the same password for many accounts can prove to be naive as it allows access to so much sensitive information. Lastly, another step to ensuring digital safety is regularly updating passwords to significant accounts like email and banking. Following these steps can enhance online security and protect your digital identity.
Nowadays, online shopping is seen as quite convenient as opposed to in-person stores. However, many threats persist on the internet that consumers must be aware of. Remember and follow the above tips to protect yourself better.
Sources
