Whether you are running a business online, banking online, or simply playing games online, you need to do what you can in order to protect your identity and your credit cards and bank accounts. Just because there are risks online doesn’t mean you should stop using the internet, since there are just as many risks shopping at your favorite local store or pumping gas at the station on the corner.
In fact, you can probably protect yourself more when shopping and playing online, since there are ways to protect your computer and to make sure you are paying for things securely. These days just paying at the pump for gas is a risk to your bank account, not to mention the card scanners that can steal your credit card information while it’s in your wallet or purse.
When Shopping Online
If you strictly shop through credible websites that you’ve heard of and know are safe you don’t really have all that much to worry about when shopping online. You can also watch for safety in shopping by looking for the https, rather than http, which shows you are using a secure site for credit transactions. Most bill pay sites, if you are going directly through whom you owe money to, are also secure.
Even shopping in a store these days poses a risk, since most larger corporate stores run their registers online, and your information gets saved where hackers can sometimes easily find it. This is why many credit card companies have changed their card to have a special chip which makes them harder to steal info from.
Banking Online
These days you can do all of your banking online, and through your smartphone. You can deposit checks just by scanning them with your phone, and you can make loan payments through your bank or credit union’s website. Both businesses and individuals do much of their banking online nowadays, and the main thing you need to make sure you are doing is keeping your computer and phone protected.
You can ensure your protection by making sure to not only have virus protection on your computer, but also by having malware protection. Don’t just settle for the free versions, invest in your protection to make sure you are getting the best coverage possible. You should also set up alerts through your banks and credit card providers to let you know when purchases are made, and check your accounts regularly, so that you can catch fraudulent purchases quickly.
It’s not just important to protect your business assets, but also your own. If you notice fraudulent charges contact your bank or credit card immediately to have them dealt with. With any luck you’ll have your money back in no time.