When it comes to online shopping , AVG Australia has provided the following 5 tips to help protect you from Cyber Criminals.
1. DON’T GIVE AWAY YOUR PERSONAL DATA:
There is no reason to disclose your address, phone number and credit card information if you are trying to get something free via the Internet. Never respond to emails that request you to provide your credit card info via email, and do not respond to emails that ask you to go to a website to verify personal (and credit card) information-also known as phishing scams. Set up a dedicated shopping e-mail account that is in no way affiliated with your personal, everyday e-mail account.
2. DON’T LET YOUR ANTI-VIRUS SECURITY SOFTWARE EXPIRE:
A first step for all consumers is to ensure their PCs or Macs are protected and updated with the latest anti-malware technology, specifically making sure browser security enhancements are configured and enabled in anti-virus software. Consumers can download the Free version of AVG 2011, which has all the core advancements of security protection, from www.avgfree.com.au.
3. DON’T SETTLE FOR THE TOP RESULTS OF YOUR SEARCH:
Advertisers and marketers work diligently to place their enticing deals to the very top of search results, hoping you will assume the results on top are the best. If you decide to scope out whatever pops up first, be extra careful and use commonsense – because cyber-criminals use the same tactics to highly position their tricky deals.
4. DON’T BECOME PASSWORD COMPLACENT:
Keep updating your passwords, created with a mix of letters, capitals, symbols and numbers, for credit card and bank accounts. Refresh e-mail accounts with an updated, unique password. Write them down and keep the information in a secure location.
5. DON’T USE MULTIPLE CREDIT CARDS FOR ONLINE SHOPPING:
It is much easier to track transactions and detect suspicious activity if you limit the number of credit cards you use for online shopping. Make sure each card offers identity theft protection. Also, keep records of your online shopping – save confirmation pages as pdf records and keep e-mail confirmations.
More tips on staying safe online at http://www.avg.com.au/resources/ultimate-guides/
