ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SHOPPING ON THE INTERNET?

By Nily Glaser
Copyrights Nily Glaser,
all rights reserved 2003

With the holiday season close at hand, many would be
Internet shoppers are concerned with on-line security issues and
the fear of "Identity theft".

Yet, shopping on the Internet is changing our way of life.
The question is: "Is it safe to shop online?"
The answer is that the internet is a very safe place to shop,
as long as you are careful and take some precautions to
protect yourself.

When you shop online via a merchant that offers a
SECURE SERVER, you are probably safer than
when you use your credit card at an off line
brick and mortar establishment. Additionally you
benefit by being able to find:
· a huge variety and options for what you are looking for,
· shop from the convenience of your home or office,
· shop anytime day or night,
· shop without the pressure of over eager salespeople.
So, forget the traffic, forget the store hours, forget the
crowds and forget the lines at the cashier's stands.

Following are a few precautions you should take to feel
secure Shopping on the Internet.

Safety Tip # 1:
Shop at sites that post a physical address, an E-mail
address and a telephone number.
If you are not quite sure, E-mail them. They should
reply within 72 hours. CALL them and make sure you
can talk with a PERSON, not a machine.
Jot down the name of the person you spoke with.
Ask a few questions regarding the merchandise, policies,
etc... Once you are satisfied, proceed with your purchases.

Safety Tip # 2:
Look for vendors with SECURE SERVERS.
The encryption technology is evolving constantly
and though it already makes shopping on the Internet safe,
it keeps adding more and more features for the security
and protection of on line shoppers.
If you want to be sure about the security of your
information, do the following before giving your
credit card information:
On the site in question "pretend" to order an item by adding
it to the cart.
Go to the cart and if you are on the page where you need
to enter your information proceed to:
Check if there is a written claim on the page that it is
secure, or that you have entered the secure section of the
web site.
The address shoud begin with https:// instead of http://
Unless there is an S following the HTTP the page you
are on IS NOT secure!
Some sites display a locked padlock. This is just a graphic
and is valied only if the following apply.

This is how you check for security:
> From anywhere on the page, RIGHT CLICK.
You'll get a table. CLICK on PROPERTIES it will take
you to another table. Watch for the following information:
The company and section of the site. for example: If you
go to http:www.a-weddingday.com, and place an order,
the secure page will show:
A-Wedding Day Shopping Plaza Online Order Form
The PROTOCOL should say:
HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy. Note Protocol with
Privacy.
Check the CONNECTION it should look like this:.
SSL 3.0, RC4 with 128 bit encryption (High); RSA with 1024 bit
exchange.
SSL with 128 bit encription is used by banks and financial
institutions and is the highest security to-date.
The ADDRESS (URL)
https://loki.safe-order.net/a-weddingday/...............
Note the following: Security: https://loki.safe-order.net/
NAME OF COMPANY See top of table it says:
a-weddingday/............
If you do not see the specifics as I described them above, the
site
may have a lower security level or its security may be in
question.
If you want to find out about the site's SECURITY CERTIFICATE,
click on CERTIFICATE on the right bottom.
You need to check for:
· This certificate in intended to Ensures the identity of a
remote
computer.
· Issued to, may not be the site owner but through their hosting
company. So do not worry about it. You already varified on the
prevuious table that the site is or was secure.
So you know that this order form is secure. or is it?
· The next step is of utmost importance! Check the certificate's
expiration date to assure that the security certificate IS
CURRENT.

Once you obtained all that the information you need, click
on th OK button. Hit the back button to return to the previous
page
and if you did not intend to buy it, click on the delete item
button.

Safety Tip # 3:
When you order on the Internet using your credit card, rest
assured that most credit card companies have provisions for
challenging fraudulent charges. Nevertheless, be sure to print
out a copy of your order and keep the copy with your records.

Safety Tip # 4:
NEVER provide personal information, such as your
social security number or checking account information
to process credit card transactions.
The vendor needs only the following information to process
the credit card transaction:
· your full name as it appears on the card,
· your billing address,
· your phone number,
· Your E-mail address (in case there is a need to
communicate with you,)
· your credit card number,
· The security code (3 digits by the magnetic strip of Visa
and Mastercard or 4 digits on the front of an
American Express Card),
· the card's expiration date.

Now go on - shop on the Internet have fun, save time and hassle
and get what you want from the privacy of your home or office. !

************************************************************
Nily Glaser is the founder of A-wedding Day,
http://www.a-weddingday.com a very popular Wedding portal.
Offering a Discount Mall - not just for weddings -
an Information Center and an Affiliate Program. She is also the
publisher of the free A-wedding Day newsletter at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-weddingday/join