Internet Security when making a Purchase or Depositing Money on the Internet
Tools like PayPal and Skrill have made it easier than ever for people to get paid online and also for those who like to purchase goods and services over the internet. However, using these services also means that we need to commit to keeping ourselves safe, since there are many people who won’t hesitate to take advantage and steal your online information or hack into your accounts.
Here are some tips for keeping secure online:
Check your passwords
It’s important that you ensure your passwords are all strong and not easily guessed by either a computer or a human. That means at least 8 characters, including symbols, numbers and letters. Be sure to have different passwords and user IDs for all of your financial accounts and social media sites.
It’s also super important that you don’t use any of your sensitive info like your PIN, social security or ID number, mother’s maiden name, pet’s name or anything else that could identify you as part of your password as these are typically the first things that people will try when they want to get into your account. Don’t ever use something silly like your phone number, birth date or the word “password” as these are commonly used and easily guessed
Ignore certain emails
If you get an email from PayPal, your bank, or any other internet site that you use for online transactions, your best bet is to ignore it. None of these sites will ever ask you for your account information or any personal information, and you should also be careful about opening free software or email attachments unless you’re sure of where it’s coming from, as these are common ways that your computer and personal information can be exposed to theft and online fraud.
Watch your social media
Often we overshare on social media, without ever realizing exactly how much we’re sharing about our personal details. If you post a lot about yourself it can be easy for someone to use that information to steal your identity, login to your accounts and more. Check your privacy settings on your social media logins and ensure that only friends can see your posts and not “friends of friends” or “everyone”.
Click carefully
When you’re hanging out online you need to be careful about the links you click. Never sign into a site that doesn’t have “https” at the beginning (the s at the end means it’s secure) and check if it has a little padlock indicating that you’re entering a secure part of the web. Links that you’re receiving through social media or emails can be fraudulent or harmful even if they’re coming from friends- they may not even know that they’re hacked. If you notice that the email is requesting personal information or asking for immediate action its likely to be a scam, so be sure not to click through to the website.
These days, websites treat with security and privacy very seriously, especially when they are asking your information and credit card details. Online stores, for instance, must use the https security protocol and SSL.
Another example is online casinos operators that also started to work with PayPal because of the convenience and the safety of not using your direct credit card details. According to regulation, they are checking everyone who deposit money in depth, it’s very important to them to verify that there are real humans behind the keyboard, and not robots that want to still your information.