ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SHOPPING ON THE INTERNET? By Nily Glaser Copyrights, Nily Glaser all rights reserved 2004Please feel free to post this Article as is with no additions or deletions in your newsletter, on your website, and forward it to your clients, customers, friends and / or business associates. If you post or otherwise publish this article, please ensure that
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ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SHOPPING ON THE INTERNET? By Nily Glaser Copyrights Nily Glaser, all rights reserved 2003
With holiday season close at hand, many would be Internet shoppers are concerned with on-line security issues and fear of "Identity theft".
Yet, shopping on Internet is changing our way of life. The question is: "Is it safe to shop online?" The answer is that internet is a very safe place to shop, as long as you are careful and take some precautions to protect yourself.
When you shop online via a merchant that offers a SECURE SERVER, you are probably safer than when you use your credit card at an off line brick and mortar establishment. Additionally you benefit by being able to find: · a huge variety and options for what you are looking for, · shop from convenience of your home or office, · shop anytime day or night, · shop without pressure of over eager salespeople. So, forget traffic, forget store hours, forget crowds and forget lines at cashier's stands.
Following are a few precautions you should take to feel secure Shopping on Internet.
Safety Tip # 1: Shop at sites that post a physical address, an E-mail address and a telephone number. If you are not quite sure, E-mail them. They should reply within 72 hours. CALL them and make sure you can talk with a PERSON, not a machine. Jot down name of person you spoke with. Ask a few questions regarding merchandise, policies, etc... Once you are satisfied, proceed with your purchases.
Safety Tip # 2: Look for vendors with SECURE SERVERS. The encryption technology is evolving constantly and though it already makes shopping on Internet safe, it keeps adding more and more features for security and protection of on line shoppers. If you want to be sure about security of your information, do following before giving your credit card information: On site in question "pretend" to order an item by adding it to cart. Go to cart and if you are on page where you need to enter your information proceed to: Check if there is a written claim on page that it is secure, or that you have entered secure section of web site. The address shoud begin with https:// instead of http:// Unless there is an S following HTTP page you are on IS NOT secure! Some sites only display a locked padlock. This is how you check for security: >From anywhere on page, RIGHT CLICK. You'll get a table. CLICK on PROPERTIES it will take you to another table. Check CONNECTION. Watch for following information: The company and section of site. for example: If you go to http:www.a-weddingday.com, and place an order, secure page will show: A-Wedding Day Shopping Plaza Online Order Form The Protocol: HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy. Note Protocol with Privacy. The Connection: SSL 3.0, RC4 with 128 bit encryption (High); RSA with 1024 bit exchange. SSL with 128 bit encription is used by banks and financial institutions and is highest security to-date. The Address (URL) https://loki.safe-order.net/a-weddingday/............... Note following: Security https://loki.safe-order.net/ Name of Company: a-weddingday/............ If you do not see specifics as I described them above, site may have a lower security level or its security may be in question. If you want to find out about site's SECURITY CERTIFICATE, click on CERTIFICATE on right bottom. You need to check for: This certificate in intended to Ensures identity of a remote computer. Issued to, may not be site owner but through their hosting company. So do not worry about it. You already varified that site is or was secure. So you know that this order form is secure. or is it? The next step is of utmost omportance! Check certificate's expiration date to assure that security certificate IS CURRENT.
