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Since online shopping requires a high level of protection, security experts advise introducing additional security measures for it. Eliminating vulnerabilities in customer devices and antivirus presence is also essential. Many users are seeking the reliable one and ask, “is McAfee safe to use”, “Is PC Matic worth buying,” or “Which one of them is better?”
In general, the antivirus solution usually depends on the user’s goals and resources. Each user should decide about the protection system to use according to personal needs and hardware requirements. However, considering the expansion of technologies, one goal is to make a user’s activity more protected. In this regard, it is better to know the basic rules at least.
Initial preparation
So, before going shopping on the net, you need to make sure that the devices, systems, browsers, and applications are updated to the latest versions. Of particular importance is updating and installing patches for operating systems on all user devices. What is more, you need to check for correct antivirus settings and change passwords to more reliable ones.
Risks limitation
It is better to get a special card for online payments. It is worth pointing out that creating a unique virtual machine on a computer or gadget will allow you to limit the cyber threat. And also install multi-factor authentication on sites that are important to you. Doing this, do not limit yourself only to verification via SMS and use special tools like Google Authenticator or YubiKey.
Also read: A Comprehensive Guide to the Different Types of Cyberattacks
Secure connection
When making online purchases, you need to make sure that you have SSL encryption. Additional checking that a secure connection is established should be done for security purposes before clicking the Buy button. To do this, just look at the address bar and make sure that it starts with https:// and not http://. There should be a small icon with the image of a closed lock on the left. If you see it, then the data transfer is protected. An excellent contribution to transaction security will be content filtering and ad blocking using the popular open-source plugins HTTPS Everywhere and uBlock Origin, which are available for free for most modern browsers. Also, use a VPN secure connection for shopping.
Website Check
The seller’s website is subject to particular attention. It would help if you carried out several checks before starting to use it. What you should do is move the mouse pointer to the link. Its URL will appear in a pop-up window or at the bottom of your email viewer or browser. Sift through the contents of the line before clicking on it:
- Does everything look normal? The address must not contain too many hyphens or numbers, or look too long.
- Does the site URL match the text on the link, or does it lead somewhere else?
- Is there a substitution of letters with numbers, for example, facebo0k.com?
Inspect the URL carefully before following the link. You can copy it to a domain search service such as WhoIs or ICANN. This will give complete domain data, including the info on the site’s creation, location, and ownership. Give low trust to any links that were created recently or registered in the countries with a doubtful reputation.
Moreover, it is necessary to check the design of the site and its functionality. The description of the goods for sale and payment methods also must be studied. You should trust only sites accepting credit cards of the main types for payment. Sites that offer to pay using direct bank payments, money transfer, or using services without tracking the payment should be avoided. If possible, it is better to use PayPal or payment systems with the Verified by Visa label as this will additionally protect your bank accounts and money.
It is wise to draw special attention to the product and its price. Be sure, if a proposal looks too good to be true, it usually is. Of course, sometimes there are great deals. But overall, incredibly low prices and the easy availability of rare goods are significant signs of possible fraud or the sale of counterfeits.
In general, online shopping and the development of e-commerce platforms provide quick access to a broader range of goods than ever before in history. However, empowerment also brings new risks that should be considered and taken seriously.
