Don’t be over-exposed this festive season
Filed under: corporate, cyber safety, lifestyle, trends
This Christmas I’ve decided to see if I can save a bit of time and money by doing my gift shopping online – I’m time-poor, sorely lacking in funds, and trying to watch my spending given the scare from the GFC. Shopping online is usually cheaper, especially with the value in the Aussie dollar, quicker, and the simple truth is… I hate running in and out of shops looking for something that will only usually last a week.
So – having put some thought into what to buy the loved ones – I am on the net and working the plastic. I like eBay because of the thrill of the competition and Trading Post Online when I know what I want and what I am prepared to pay. Then there are all the sites that offer the retail experience without having to leave your house. You don’t really need to picture me eating a pizza or catching the cricket as I fill up the stocking with presents, but that’s what I’ll be doing.
Like anything that is often convenient, cheap and speedy sometimes things can be too good to be true. We all need to be conscious that when we get caught up in the joy of a bargain, we don’t lose sight of the need to be careful when online.
So this year:
- Be careful opening festive season e-cards or emails: Be wary of anonymous senders such as ‘friend’ and misspelled words or strange and vague subject lines.
- Shop at secure websites: Do your homework by researching the merchant before placing an order and save all transaction details.
- Choose your payment method carefully: Try to pay without sharing your personal and financial details with the person/website you’re buying from.
- Banks won’t ask for personal details via email: Don’t respond to unsolicited emails requesting personal information such as your PIN or password.
- Keep your private information private: Be careful about the types of details you publish about yourself and others.
- Install security software and update it regularly
To all readers, have a great Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. If you have some spare time over the break have a look at the new Internet and Cyber-Safety webpage which we have just launched on Telstra.com.
Also on this topic:
Online safety is a major issue on most sites, even on eBay. TradingPost’s Verified Trader program gives me some comfort.
In general, an email address is not a good way of verifying someone’s identity. It makes identity theft and running several fake identities way too easy.
The best online safety I have seen to date is WhoCanDo.com.au where everyone has to register with email address and mobile phone number at a minimum. And as a member you can increase your online trust status by adding certifications which you can get certified.
WhoCanDo is a site to buy and sell trades and services (so you can even hire a santa for Christmas) but it would be good to see this level of security also on facebook, eBay and other shopping sites. I want to know who I am dealing with.