The holiday season is almost upon us, and you probably are already doing some online shopping. ITS Information Assurance offers the following tips to help you protect your personal information and devices when you shop online.
Know who you are dealing with
- Limit your online shopping to merchants you know and trust.
- Beware rock-bottom prices. If a website offers something that looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Compare prices and images of the merchandise at similar websites.
- Review the privacy policy for the website you are visiting to learn what information the merchant is collecting about you and how it will be used.
Secure your environment
- Check out website security. Make sure https is in the URL.
- Keep your software up-to-date.
- Do not use public computers or guest wireless for online shopping unless you use a VPN.
- Do not use debit cards online. Debit cards do not have the same consumer protections as credit cards.
Avoid the traps
- Be suspicious of email with links and attachments, even from trusted companies.
- Do not respond to pop-ups that offer free stuff.
- Do not use your browser to auto-save your personal information.
Check out the full list of tips on Safe Computing, and share them with your colleagues, family, and friends. Download an 8½″×11″ tips poster.
