October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month
"The goal of National Cyber Security Awareness Month is to educate everyday Internet users on how to "Protect Yourself Before You Connect Yourself", by taking simple and effective steps."
In observance of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the RealEstateLatino.net will share information with you each week in October to enhance your ability to protect your office network and your personal information when utilizing the Internet.
The second installment in this useful series is E-Commerce and Web Browsing
TIP: DO NOT perform any financial transactions online unless the site is secure
E-Commerce
Shopping on the Internet can be economical, convenient, and no less safe than shopping in a store or by mail. To help keep your online shopping experience a safe one, follow these tips:
- Know who you're dealing with
- Anyone can set up shop online under almost any name. Confirm the online seller's physical address and phone number in case you have questions or problems.
- If you get an e-mail or pop-up message while you're browsing that asks for financial information, don't reply or click on the link.
- Know exactly what you're buying
- Read the seller's description of the product closely, especially the fine print. Words like "refurbished," "vintage" or "close-out" may indicate that the product is in less-than-mint condition, while name-brand items with "too good to be true" prices could be counterfeit.
- Pay by credit or charge card under secure sites (designated by the pad lock and https designation)
- If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them.
- In the event of unauthorized use of your credit or charge card, you generally would be held liable only for the first $50 in charges. Some companies offer an online shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made online, and some cards may provide additional warranty, return, and/or purchase protection benefits.
- Print and save records of your online transactions.
- Keep a paper trail.
- Print and save records of your online transactions, including the product description and price, the online receipt, and copies of every e-mail you send or receive from the seller.
- Read your credit card statements as you receive them and be on the lookout for unauthorized charges.
TIP: Prevent pop-ups by installing pop-up blockers to prevent unwanted advertising.
Safe Web Browsing
TIP: Many of the warning phrases you probably heard from your parents and teachers are also applicable to using computers and the Internet.
Advise for safer Web browsing
• Raise your security settings.
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- Open your Web browser. (The most popular Web browsers are Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.)
- Click the Tools menu.
- Select either "Options" or "Internet Options."
- Click on the Security tab.
- Choose Medium-High (With this setting, your computer will not download any software without your approval)
• Install a good anti-virus program
• Popular commercial companies include:
• McAfee, Norton, and Symantec
• Free anti-virus programs include:
• Avast!, AVG and Avira AntiVir
• Avoid bad neighborhoods
• Defined as a known Web site that tricks users into clicking a link
• Usually accompanied by pop-ups and unwanted ads
• Keep your browser updated
• Internet Explorer
• Periodically run Windows Updates. (if you don't let Windows automatically update for you)
• Firefox Browser
• Always check you are running the latest version (currently 3.0.3).
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