Although the attitudes for shopping online have changed dramatically, many website visitors refrain from purchasing products online because of security issues.
Every day we hear about people having their identities stolen by unscrupulous individuals however is online shopping any less safe than buying from the local Wal-Mart?
The issue seems to be whether current technology can be counted on to protect credit card information from being stolen.
The answer in almost every case is a definite YES.
The most common secure shopping sites online use Netscape's Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to keep their users information secure..
SSL utilizes encryption technology that sends a digital certificate with a public key which can only be decrypted with a corresponding private key.
Depending on the level of encryption that is being used (40 bit, 56 bit or 128 bit encryption), breaking the code can be next to impossible.
The additional fact that online credit card transactions can be sent directly to the credit card company and never be seen by the merchant, makes your credit card transactions much more secure online than when you purchase your products from a store, a bar, a restaurant or over the telephone.
The most likely risks for stolen information does not come not from decryption technology but from elaborate scams, misdirections and basic theft conducted by hackers and other online mischief makers.
How safe is your online shopping depends on your "detect" level.
Obvious schemes such as get rich quick business opportunities, pyramid schemes, lottery winnings from other countries you need to pay for before cashing in, etc. are relatively easy to detect.
However, when you think you're buying from a bona fide business you are familiar with and discover that you are purchasing from a "clone" website; you can be taken in by clever misdirections.
You can avoid these schemes by using some "due diligence" before transmitting any information about yourself online.
Deal only with businesses you are certain about and make sure they are who they say they are by confirming their website URL.
Imposter websites will have a different URL than the original site and are usually redirects from fake site directories or banner advertisements
Unsolicited deceptive spam emails are often the cause of shopping problems online.
Never respond to unsolicited e-mails. The sender probably obtained your email through an illegal source so if you don't recognize the sender, don't bother replying to the email.
To make your online shopping safer, make your payments with a Visa, Amex or MasterCard. These cards limit your liability to $50.00 and the issuers will promptly notify you when unusually large purchases, or purchases that are outside your normal buying patterns are made.
You should also make sure that you are using a secure connection.
Your web browser will tell you when you enter a secure site by displaying a closed lock or an unbroken key icon in the lower left corner of the browser.
Look for secure URLs when giving any personal information online. Never provide any personal information unless it is over a https:// URL.
There are well established laws governing commerce in the United States and the same laws that govern mail and telephone orders apply to online shopping.
Fortunately, most internet shoppers purchase good products online at fair prices and receive decent customer service.
The majority of online buyers are happy with their purchasing experiences because of the variety of products and services that are available online.
The majority of online merchants want satisfied customers in order to get repeat business and will go to great lengths to maintain their credibility.
Unfortunately, scammers and unscrupulous businesses are found everywhere, even on the Internet.
For additional information on eCommerce privacy and security, visit the FTC websites below:
http://www.ftc.gov/
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/tech/privacy.shtm
As to the question "How safe is your online shopping?"; the truthful answer is, as safe or safer than any other type of shopping, on or offline.
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