4 Steps to Ensure Your Online Credit Card Purchases are Safe

Today, thanks to the widespread reach of the internet the world is no longer as traditional as it once was. Communication has greatly improved and you no longer have to wait for your message to be relayed anywhere, geographical position notwithstanding. The difference between a person at the north-pole and their colleague at the south is in the click of a mouse and their interaction is just as efficient as when they are in the same room.

Such advancements have led to globalization with the entire world becoming interconnected as a single unit. With this interconnection, you no longer have to worry about communicating with your friends overseas or knowing what is happening in other countries of the world and so on. Communications aside, almost every activity that would previously have required an amount of your energy to accomplish can now be achieved in just a matter of seconds.

Emerging Risk

But with this efficiency, comes a downside. Just as easily as common activities like online shopping, money transfer, communication and so on have been automated, so has your security been put at risk. Nowadays, thieves do not have to break into your safes and homes to rob from you. Your online accounts and many ways to access and operate your finances have offered a haven toa new breed of crooks.

It may sound like a good idea to have a credit card that you can carry around and make all your purchases with, without having to carry hard cash all the time. It becomes even more efficient when you can use the card from the comfort of your home and order goods from overseas, easily making the payment without the need to go through long processes. But what risk is involved? Just how safe is it to operate your finances with so much ease?  Well, it depends on how much you understand the medium you are using, flaws and all: being conversant with the measures you should take to ensure that your credentials do not land in the wrong hands, and enabling unauthorized persons to move your funds just as easily.

What are the Safety Measures you Should Take?

To ensure that your online purchases are safe, you need to follow a few precautions while using your credit card. A single mistake, one that you may not even notice making, can lead to the loss of your credit card information to crooks and you ending up a victim. Cyber fraud has become a major security threat and thousands are becoming victims daily.

1.    Ensure you have an Updated Antivirus

Internet security is very important when it comes to matters of cybersecurity. The major reason why hackers are able to launch an attack in the first place is the absence of effective protection mechanism on the victim’s part.

By installing a trusted antivirus program on all your devices, you will be prompted immediately whenabnormal activity is detected. Normally, the preferred method for fraudsters is sending you links that may appear to be from a trusted source, mostly one that you are subscribed to. However, as soon as you click on them, you are redirected to their site and exposed to their malicious intent. By using best antivirus and keeping it up to date, this trick is immediately detected and the attack blocked.

2.    Stick to Credit Cards rather than Debit.

When making online purchases, it is better to play it safe than the risk it all. Thus, it is a good idea to normally use a credit card, instead of a debit card. This is especially so in cases where you are suspicious of your network or the platform you are making the purchase on.

With a credit card, you are getting an advance from the bank to complete the purchase and payback later. That means you are not accessing the money in your account. A debit card, on the other hand, is linked to your savings and the money is being deducted from you. So, in case you lose your debit card, it means you are at risk of your entire bank account being swept clean.

Credit cards are more secure since they have a fixed limit. That means you cannot lose more than the limit. Credit cards also come with a zero liability policy which means that when you report a stolen credit card, you will not be liable to the losses.

3.    Avoid using Public networks

Public networks are the least secure medium that you could use to access online sites. Your information isn’t secure as it can be accessed by anyone on the network, provided they know-how. It becomes even more risky when you are making money transfers on such networks. When using public Wi-Fi connections, any information you relay can be hijacked by others on the network losing privacy.

Public computers are the worst. Many times you will be asked to save your information, including credit card numbers on the browsers and in case you do, this information can be derived and used for fraud. Even when you ensure to always log out of your accounts, it is possible for hackers to install keystroke software on such computers which will record everything you type, thus revealing your login credentials.

To avoid falling prey to such attacks, I recommend you always use a computer you trust for such operations. You need to ensure that it has an up to date antivirus for your protection and if you can afford it, have a dedicated computer for all online purchases so that you know the rest of your home network will remain safe.

4.    Browse cautiously

I cannot insist on this point enough. Hackers are always coming up with new ways of intruding privacy and stealing valuable information from you. To avoid this, you need to remain vigilant and stay one step ahead of them all the way. Most times hacks will come in the form of friendly emails or enticing links demanding your attention. By typing your links instead of clicking also ensures you get your sites correct instead of landing on dubious fakes run by hackers.

Before keying in any sensitive information on any website, it is important to check if the site is secure. Check the address and ensure it has an “s” on its hyperlink. That is, addresses starting with “https” rather than “http”. That means that the website is secure and chances of frauds are limited. Many legit websites, especially those involving money transfers will also have a seal and this is another thing to be on the look-out for. Popular seals that you can trust are such as McAfee, TRUSTe and the Better Business Bureau Seals. These are security companies, and seeing them on websites means that they are likely protected.

Having an updated antivirus and a secure security patch on your windows and browsers is an added advantage. Most of the looking out and protection from hackers will have been transferred to a trusted third party thus ensuring more safety for you.

Conclusion

There is lots of added convenience online with many stores offering next day shipping and simple return policies. However, if you fall prey to malicious behavior online, the convenience is definitely not worth it. It is important to consider your actions online and be vigilant. As long as you take care with your actions, you can shop safely and securely.