Safe & Secure Shopping Online - How to Protect Your Privacy and Sensitive Information

t is no secret that we have to be careful when shopping online. The
amount of threats that surround us when we are making a purchase on
the web are great in numbers. This is why safe and secure shopping
online should be our number one priority when we are about to make a
purchase or submit our personal information over the web.

It is easy to let your guard down when shopping online. Since it is
only you and the computer screen, you may feel as if you are already
safe. Like the saying goes, out of sight - out of mind. However, the
threats may be out of sight but they should not be out of your mind.
Cyber crimes are very common and should not be overlooked. You should
always take precautions before you make any transaction over the web.

The first thing you should look for when you are shopping on any
website is an SSL lock. This is a small yellow lock that would be
located on the bottom right or bottom left corner of any webpage
asking you for a credit card number or any other type of sensitive
information. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer This system encrypts
any information that you enter into a website before you send it over
the web. This makes it hard for anyone to see and steal your
information.

Some websites have fake yellow locks on their websites to make their
sites look secure. In order to see if a lock is authentic, you should
click on the lock. A pop-up window should appear verifying its
authenticity.

Online companies do what they can to protect their shoppers. However,
the bulk of the responsibility is still up to you. You must also have
your own form of protection. The best protection is an antivirus
software. This form of internet security can protect you from hackers
and computer viruses. The most popular brands on the market today are
Norton and McAfee but there are many to choose from. You can get an
"ok" program for free but a good, solid program will cost anywhere
between $60-$100 per year.

hese are just a few ways we can practice safe and secure shopping
online. The threats will always be out there. However, that should not
deter us from the convenience of shopping online. There are many deals
online that are not always available to offline shoppers. If we are
cautious, we can take advantage of some of these deals without risking
our privacy and sensitive information.