Bonnie from Richmond, VA asks:
I do a lot of business online and worry about entering my credit card number and other pieces of sensitive information. How do I prevent identity theft and the misuse of my credit card number?
It’s important to protect your personal and financial information at all times, but all of us want the freedom to purchase goods and services online. Here are a few tips for safe online shopping:
1. Only purchase from sites you know and trust: There are lots of shady sites and knockoffs out there, so know where you are before you buy. If the store name is misspelled or the site is found at a .net instead of a .com, it could be bogus.
2. Make sure it’s a secure site: When entering payment information, the web page address (URL) should always start with “HTTPS” instead of just “HTTP“; the “S” signifies a secure connection. There should also be a padlock icon, further confirmation that it is a secure site. This is usually found in the top or bottom right corner of the browser window.
3. Protect Your Computer: Have effective anti-virus and anti-spyware software installed, plus a firewall and keep all of it current.
4. Pay with a credit card, not a debit card: In the instances of fraud, it’s much easier to stop payment or dispute the charges if made to a credit card. Additionally, many credit card companies monitor your usage and will notify you if they spot a purchase that is outside of your typical buying habits.
5. Use a third-party payment service: Services like PayPal allow you to purchase items from online businesses and donate money to charities. When you create a PayPal account, your financial information is securely stored and encrypted on their servers, so you don’t need to share it directly with the person or company you’re buying from.
6. Passwords Should Be Strong: For tips on creating a bullet-proof password, click here.
7. Keep a Close Eye on Your Statements: Regularly checking you bank and credit card statments helps keep fraud at bay. If you notice something unusual, report it immediately.
Teltek IT is here to help with your information security. Give us a call for a free site survey to ensure that your software is current and that your business is well protected.
Teltek is proud to offer IT services as the fourth component to our multi-systems approach as your single source technology services company. This Managed Service Provider (MSP) offering completes our longstanding goal to provide our clients with a one-call resource for all of their business technology needs. IT outsourcing, remote back up and disaster recovery, helpdesk support, computer network relocations, security products, computer repair and server/desktop virtualization are just a few of the services available.