Nowadays, everyone is shopping online, but if you have ever had an account breached you know that a moment of fun can turn into a week-long headache. Since online shopping is becoming more popular, thieves are now focusing on identity theft and hacking in order to make off with your hard-earned money. Between Amazon, Asos, and home grocery deliveries, it isnt really practical to think that you can safeguard yourself against this form of theft by avoiding online shopping. Rather, you can just follow the four below mentioned tips and keep your online transactions safer and more secure in 2018.
1. Use Randomised Passwords
Are you still using a simple password that is easy to guess because you fear that you will forget it? Remember, if your online passwords are easy to guess, you are at a great risk of having your accounts hacked. There are all kinds of ways to generate and store randomised passwords, both online and not. If you forget your password, theres always the reset button so it isnt the end of the world if you get temporarily locked out.
2. Make Use of Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is fast becoming an integral part of our lives. We can now play games in a crypto casino, buy flights with bitcoin, and invest in cryptocurrency. Dont want to use a bank account or credit card to shop online at all? Well, you dont have to if you utilise a form of cryptocurrency. Basically, you will need to buy some form of cryptocurrency before you can begin shopping with a preferred retailer, but the wait is generally very short. After you have what is known as a wallet to hold your cryptocurrency, it would be very hard for you to ever have your funds stolen.
3. Keep Your Computer Secure
A lot of times, online security breaches come from keyloggers, viruses, and other kinds of security issues with home-based computers. Although you should be careful about what online stores you visit, you really have more to worry about with your personal internet connection. Doing security scans and software updates on your computer should also keep it free of viruses and anything that could compromise security.
4. Use Temporary Online Credit Cards
If you are going to be shopping online, you cant be careless about what retailers you visit, nor can you be lackadaisical about your personal security. Dont be afraid to cancel a credit card if you feel like you visited a website with less than stellar security features. Likewise, you should be careful about what online wallets you use to store your cryptocurrency. Have fun, be aware, and you can safely shop until you drop via the web.
Think about how you would ordinarily do your shopping in person. Would you walk around with money hanging out of your wallet or purse, out in the open so that a thief would be tempted to strip it away? Be prudent and thoughtful about how you approach online shopping and the web in general. That way, you can put all of your energy into finding the best sales, deals, and retailers to do business with.