#TechTimesLifeHack is back again to provide a useful take guide that will definitely help you with your daily tech activities.
An employee prepares a package for shipment at the Amazon logistics centre in Suelzetal, eastern Germany, on Mai 12, 2021. - The US online sales giant opened the new warehouse in Saxony-Anhalt in August 2020. (Photo by Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
Now, we will be focusing on how you can shop online while avoiding possible data risks. As of the moment, cybersecurity experts still believe that online shopping is not 100% safe.
This is because you are putting your important user data, such as bank information, when purchasing items through online stores and other shopping websites.
Risks of Online Shopping
Online shopping still poses many security risks that lead to various malicious campaigns against sensitive user data. These include the following:
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: A worker retrieves goods from shelves at Amazon's warehouse on December 5, 2014 in Hemel Hempstead, England. In the lead up to Christmas, Amazon is experiencing the busiest time of the year.
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Credit Card Fraud (One of the most common security risks when shopping online. Hackers and other cybercriminals can use your credit card and use it themselves.)
Identity Theft (This one can be used also to make personal purchases. Usually, hackers use spy applications to steal your identity.)
Fake Online Stores (One of the dangerous things you can encounter when shopping online is a fake online store or shopping website. Once you purchase an item from these malicious online shopping platforms, you may never get back the money you spent or the product you purchased.)
How To Online Shop Safely
PC Mag provides various methods you can rely on to keep your data safe while online shopping. These include the following:
- Using familiar websites, such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other reliable retailers. But, you still need to check the URL for misspellings and other suspicious details.
- Always check if the required user details are really necessary. Amazon and other online stores or retailers don't need your Social Security Number (SSN), birthday, and other unnecessary information.
- Check if the online shopping site has SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption. You can identify this security feature if the website's URL starts with "HTTP S" and not only "HTTP."
Meanwhile, Kaspersky, a cybersecurity firm, explained that online attackers and other cybercriminals usually succeed in their malicious campaigns if online shoppers don't know how to identify fake or phishing email addresses, use weak passwords, or use the same password in all their online shopping accounts.
In other news, security experts claimed that bots commonly conduct e-commerce cyberattacks. On the other hand, artificial intelligence will soon help online shoppers during holidays.
For more news updates about online shopping and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
