8 Tips on Staying Cyber Safe While Shopping

It is better not to take any shortcuts when it comes to online shopping. Transactions of millions of dollars take place every day over the internet. However, the internet is widespread with hackers and scammers who tend to steal your information and money. Safety measures must be taken during an online transaction and beware of frauds because phishing is very common nowadays through which hackers get access to your accounts.

Say NO to open WIFI networks

While standing in a queue in a shopping center or at cafes, you may find open wifi networks available. It’s not wise to connect to these because open networks are usually not well encrypted and the streams of data flowing through them may be tracked. According to professionals, this is termed as a ‘honeypot’ where the wifi is network is set up by hackers to steal your data. In case you really need to access the internet in the airport, malls or at hospitals look for the ‘wifi-name’ or ask the authority to help you with the process.

Use different passwords for different accounts

There are searchable lists available to hackers containing the email IDs and passwords which they have broken into. Whenever a new account is hacked, they add the stolen information to the list which is even available to others for some pennies. They run the same passwords against a thousand accounts which may result in cracking up more than one account. If you have difficulties remembering more than one password, consider using a password management program.

Watch out for typos

Always make sure that you have spelled the names of the websites correctly. Hackers have registered a thousand websites which have their names close to the original website that you intend to browse. They know exactly where we may go wrong during typing and you end up being a victim. So double check your web address before opening up a website.

Change default passwords

Portable devices like Bluetooth speakers, smart lighting systems etc. come with default passwords for easy connectivity. Take a few more minutes to set up your device and change the passwords for it is very easy for anyone to guess these passwords and gain access.

Never save credit card details on a website

It’s tempting to save your credit card details on a particular website from which you buy frequently so that you don’t have to enter it over and over again. But if the website’s security system gets compromised, you may end up in trouble. So it may be a bit time consuming, but make it a habit of entering your card details every time while making an online purchase.

Phishing emails

Clicking on certain links might end up downloading malicious software on your computer. Always open emails from trusted sources and do not click on anything suspicious. You may get mails like ‘check delivery date’ for something which you have recently ordered. These are usually sent by hackers and are not from the actual websites. Open the main website and check the status of your delivery. Happy shopping!