Online shopping: Safety tips from the cybersecurity experts
Online shopping is simple, right? So, do you really know whether that great email bargain was sent from your favorite store and not a scammer? Are you paying at a secure site? Does it matter how you pay online?
Never use wire transfers to pay for online purchases. Credit cards remain the most secure form of payment.
In this two-minute video, cybersecurity experts for Security Matters, an informational service of Indiana University's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research, offer some simple advice and steps shoppers can take to get the online benefits without security risks.
Did you know that checking your bank account while using Wi-Fi at your favorite coffee shop is risky?
"Avoid doing anything sensitive that exposes important credentials in public. Don't do high-risk activities," said Von Welch, deputy director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research.
Welch said online banking sites and other websites that release personal information are a target for hackers who may be monitoring public wireless networks for credit card numbers and other information to steal.
Security Matters offers how-to videos and other information on a range of security issues. Some video topics include "Facebook: Changing your privacy settings," "Mobile banking," "Why the U.K. hacking scandal may hit close to home" and "Choosing a good password."
For more information and Security Matters videos, visit www.securitymatters.iu.edu/. The YouTube video about online shopping can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcYxtk14nRk.
