Online Security - Making Sure Transactions Are Safe

Considering the increasing amount of criminal activity, it's only natural to be concerned with online security too.  Since Web related crime is probably the most frequent method a fraudster will use to con you, do we really know how secure web transactions and websites are?

Think about this for a minute, when was the last time you splashed the cash using your credit card number on a web page in order to purchase a product?   Or, perhaps worse still used your bank debit card number

with expiry date and three-digit security code on the reverse?  Just think of the implications involved if a fraudster were to retrieve this highly sensitive information.  To say you could end up a little short next month would be a huge understatement.  Not only that, but anyone wishing to dig a little deeper could easily retrieve your full name and home address too.

Worrying isn’t it?  Fortunately, though most legitimate websites invest heavily in firewalls and online security measures that limit the chances of your financial details falling into the wrong hands.  That said, you still need to be on the lookout for phishing web sites, or sites pretending to be something they are not.

I’m always sceptical whenever I purchase anything online, even when it’s a secure website.  Really, how do you actually know if the site is secure or not?  Well, large companies invest heavily in online security to protect us, after all, if a particular website is being hacked all the time nobody would ever buy anything, right?  So it’s really in the websites best interest to have a secure network as possible.

The good news is that there are some simple measures you can implement to safe guard your online security as best you can.

• Firstly, when completing an online transaction do not use the Browsers back button.  Once the transaction has completed, close the Browser.  Open a new Internet Explorer window every time you need purchase something online.  By doing so the previous window is closed down and not easily accessible by a third-party.
• Secondly, you should only purchase something from websites that you trust and who announce their security measures.  Take a look around their homepage until you are happy that the site is legitimate.
• Thirdly, When a website offers a secure online transaction facility the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or web address will start with ‘HTTPS’ (HyperText Transfer Secure) as apposed to normal ‘HTTP’.  If it doesn’t the chances are the webpage you are viewing isn’t secure.
• Fourthly, you should notice a ‘closed padlock’ icon at the foot of the Browser informing you that the web page is secure.  If the padlock is in an open state, it’s advisable to check the website security credentials again. 

By using the above steps when purchasing anything online will dramatically reduce your risk of being the next Internet victim.  Above all though, use your common sense, if the website you are looking at doesn’t feel right simply move onto a website that does.