Online shopping has seen a huge increase in popularity over the past few years due to its ease-of-use and promise of next-day delivery. Online shopping isn’t just convenient for us, but it’s also good business for fraudsters and cybercriminals. Scammers will try to convince us to pay for goods that we don't need or get our personal information for their financial gain. What can you do to stop it? When shopping online, it is important to protect yourself with cybersecurity tips.

These tips will help you enjoy shopping online with confidence.

Cybersecurity Tips For Online Shopping

Don't click before you think: Avoid clicking on emails, text messages or any other promotional material that seems "off" or urges you to click on certain links. Do not click on any link that appears tempting if you are sent the email. To verify that the offer is genuine, you should go to the company's site. Report the scam to your email provider if you don't see it on their site. It is possible to fall for a scam if it appears too good to be true.

Do your research

Fraudsters love to set up fake ecommerce websites.  One way to improve your online security is to read reviews about the merchant before you make a purchase. You can also check trusted sources like the Better Business Bureau. You should also look for the physical address and contact information. To confirm the merchant's legitimacy, it is a good idea that you call them.

Take into account your payment options. A credit card is better than a debit card. Credit cards have more protections in case something goes wrong. You can also use a third-party payment service to pay for your credit card. You can pay for purchases using many different services, such as Google Pay, without having to give your credit card information.

Pay attention to what you divulge: You should be aware of the information that is being collected in order to complete your transaction. You can cancel the transaction if the merchant requests more information than you are comfortable sharing. Only fill in the required fields at checkout. You should not save payment information in your account. If your account automatically saves it, you can log in to delete any payment details.

You should keep an eye on your credit card and bank statements for. Management of your data security requires good recordkeeping. You can also set up alerts to receive email or text messages with transaction details whenever your credit card is used.

Security and safety tips

Maintain a clean computer: Make sure all internet-connected devices, including smartphones, tablets and PCs are safe from malware and other infections. Only use the most recent software and apps. This protects your device from any new vulnerabilities or threats.

Secure your login. Create long, unique passphrases and use multifactor authentication (MFA) whenever possible. MFA can strengthen your online accounts by enabling biometrics and a unique one time code sent to you via mobile or phone.

Secure Wi-Fi is recommended: While it's extremely convenient to shop online from your local coffee shop, it is not safe. Do not make any purchases over public Wi-Fi. Instead, use a Virtual Private Network or your smartphone as a hotspot. You can also save your purchases to your cart and wait until your home network is secure.

Give the gift of peace of mind

Do you want to buy an internet-connected device as a gift for your loved one? Do not assume that they are familiar with how it works. Give recipients the opportunity to learn how to set up privacy and security settings, create strong passwords, and disable any features that they don't use. Do not make it difficult for your loved ones to learn. Give them peace of mind and a device.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information on how to improve your cybersecurity.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston