Black Monday, Protect Online Purchases

With the holidays rapidly approaching, online shopping is on the rise and people are less weary of potential security threats. This leads some security researchers to believe November 24th will become “Black Monday” the peak day for malware distribution.

Some basic tips for on-line shopping include:

• If a deal seems too good to be true it most likely is. Only buy from known companies with a good reputation.
   
• Look for HTTPS in the URL of the site and the SSL security lock in your browser.
   
• When possible, use a secure online payment service like PayPal.
   
• Use credit cards rather than debit cards.
   
• Don’t keep your personal or financial information (including account passwords) on your computer.
   
• Don’t give out personal or financial information over the phone, through the mail, or online unless you are absolutely certain that your contact is legitimate.
   
• Try to make all of your online transactions won a single credit card.
   
• Keep a record of what you pay for and always check your online purchases off against your statement.
   
• Always read the privacy policy and TOS of any Web site that requests personal details. If the Web site is requesting this type of information and does not have a privacy policy, it is not wise to submit your information.
   
• Keep your operating system, anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software up to date.
   
• Use anti-virus software and/or firewalls on every computer you use.

Regardless of the time of year we should all be careful when making online purchases. Be safe, Happy Holidays and by the way I’m a medium….