In 2012, U.S. e-commerce sales amounted to 289 billion U.S. dollars, up from 256 billion in 2011. Smartphone shopping, and a 2012 e-commerce market forecast projects online retail revenue in the United States to reach 361.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2016. Smartphone shopping makes shopping even easier. In fact, 79% of smartphone owners are “smartphone shoppers.”
While online shopping offers convenience and ease for consumers- where potential victims go, hackers go. Follow these simple tips for a hassle free shopping experience:
1. Do not use a public computer
If you are using a computer that others have access to, anybody can easily install softwarethat can collect your user ID, PIN numbers or credit/debit card information.
2. Do not use a public Wi-Fi network
Just like a hacker can easily collect your information on a public computer, a public Wi-Fi network can be hacked as well. Therefore, don’t connect to a public Wi-Fi and shop on your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Wait until you are at home on your private Wi-Fi to do anything where you will be entering personal information.
3. Keep your browser up-to-date
Your browser will usually notify you with a pop up when there is a newer version available. These notifications are easy to ignore, but extremely important. When a browser is outdated, this is gold for hackers. Any information you enter on outdated browsers is easier to access.
4. Use anti-virus/anti-malware software
To be worry–free while browsing online, Internet Security Softwareis highly recommended for your PC, Mac or mobile device. This will safeguard personal information such as credit card numbers and passwords, warn you about dangerous sites before you click on them, protect you from viruses, boost the Windows Firewall, and validatethe security status of Wi-Fi networks and hotspots.
5. Strong Passwords
Create strong passwords for the sites you shop and pay bills on, as stronger passwords mean stronger security. Also, it’s probably not a good idea to have the same password for every site. Consider using a password manager, that way you only have to remember one password for all of your password protected sites.
6. Don’t save your payment information
While this feature may be convenient for online shopping, if a website gets hacked, your information is at risk. Play it safe and manually enter your payment information each time and make sure the website does not save it.
7. Shop at the source
Don’t click on links sent to your email with directions to shop or pay a bill. Bookmark the sites you shop on and enter them from the bookmarks bar. Hackers will often spam peoples email to lure people to enter personal information. When you bookmark the sites you know are legitimate, you don’t have to worry about this. Also, make sure you look for the Trustmark security stamp on sites you shop on.
As technology advances, there are more opportunities for consumers, and unfortunately, more risks. Consumers must keep up with this technology and learn how take advantage of these opportunities while protecting themselves as well. Happy shopping!
Photo Credit: Flickr/Ivan C
