Network | SSL Certificate

Given the current economic problems, people are increasingly turning to internet shopping in order to beat the credit crunch. A simple method to browse and compare gift ideas, shopping via the internet offers a more efficient method of researching the cheapest offers on the high street.

Purchasing gifts on the internet offers the added bonus that you can quickly and efficiently price match your chosen gifts, either by manually comparing prices on a selection of websites, or through price comparison services such as Kelkoo and Pricerunner. In a uncertain financial situation, the ability to control your spending is, without doubt, a contributing factor to the ever-growing popularity of internet shopping.

Shopping online is generally a very safe and convenient medium for today’s busy shopper, however to ensure a positive shopping experience it is worth following the top 7 tips of safe online shopping.

1) SSL Security Certificate

Always ensure that the website you are buying from provides a valid SSL certificate on pages where you are entering private information such credit card and billing information. ‘SSL’ stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is used to encrypt sensitive information transmitted over the internet.

Information transmitted via SSL cannot be read by unauthorised third parties, thus significantly reducing the risk of fraud. To check whether the website you are buying from uses an SSL certificate (a requirement of websites which transmit credit card details) simply check the URL of your page for the https: and/or the secure padlock symbol at the foot of your browser window.

2) Update Your Internet Browser

To ensure a secure online shopping experience, and in general, you should always make sure your internet browser is kept as up to date as possible. The latest browser updates are regularly released to address security bugs and vulnerabilities. Free to download and install, updating your browser is quick and easy, so there is no reason not to have the latest version of your browser installed.

3) Operating System Updates

As with Internet Browsers, Operating Systems can also be open to new vulnerabilities, which is why it is important to update your operating system for a secure online experience. This is especially important for Windows based operating systems, which are installed in the majority of home computers/laptops, and as such are particularly liable to breaches of security.

Most modern operating systems allow you to automatically update your software by configuring your device to do so, or   you can manually download the most recent software updates for free online. Either way, you should try to make sure your operating system is up to date to ensure a secure web browsing environment.

4) Keep Your Anti-Virus Software Up-To-Date

Most people are aware how important it is to install a good anti-virus package, but it is worth re-emphasising this point. Viruses often arrive disguised of email attachments or website downloads, but they can also be unknowingly downloaded from infected sites simply by browsing website.

There are a good number of excellent anti-virus packages available, both commercial and free, so ensuring against potential viruses is as simple as finding the correct package for you and installing it.

You should also ensure your anti-virus suite is up-to-date by installing the latest virus definitions when they become available. Updated virus definitions contain code used to recognise new virus threats, so to make sure your computer is suitably protected it is important to install these updates. Your anti-virus software should normally complete this process automatically, and Windows based operating systems will alert you if your virus protection is not up-to-date.

5) Install Anti-Spyware/Adware/Malware tools

In addition to threats from viruses, there are other forms of malicious software which can threaten the security of internet users. Spyware and Adware normally install themselves on your computer simply by visiting an infected website. At worst, this type of software can install security threats such as keylogger software, which logs the keypresses of the keyboard  on a compromised machine, and can be used to obtain sensitive information such as credit card numbers.

There are a number of very good free software packages which prevent malicious software such as Spyware/Adware/Malware from running on your machine, so it is a wise move to install such a package on your device.

6) Install Firewall software

A Firewall is a piece of software which prevents access to your computer by an unauthorised user or software program. If you do not have a Firewall installed, your computer might be vulnerable to hacking attempts and malicious software such as viruses, trojans and worms, therefore it is important to make sure you have one installed. Again, there are a number of excellent Firewall programs available for free download, and in modern installations of Windows operating systems a Firewall is included as standard.

7) Beware of Phishing Websites/Emails

‘Phishing’ is a relatively well-known security threat whereby a malicious user/organisation attempts to gain access to secure information such as usernames/passwords/credit card details using a fake website and/or email.

In most cases, a user will receive an email, for example from a well-known bank, requesting that the email recipient the email update their details online. The phishing email usually links to a illegitimate website designed to collect your details for illicit purposes. Phishing websites are often near-identical the original website on which they are based, and recipients of phishing emails are often duped into entering their sensitive information to unauthorised third parties.

The latest Internet Browsers come with anti-phishing tools which alert users to of potential phishing sites. Vigilance is also recommended, as banking websites will never email clients requesting full passwords or usernames.

By following these tips for safe shopping online, you can ensure your shopping experience is as secure as possible, with the added satisfaction that you can make significant savings in the process.

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Help answer the question about SSL certificate

Do I use SSL certificate within my main domain (https:/mysite.com) Please see details below. thanks?
Many advised that using SSL certificate is better than using within main domain. Please explain me that why do I use SSL in a subdomain (https://login.mysite.com)? Using within my main domain (https:/mysite.com) is not better? my site is a blog. it has login, commenting/guest book and an ebook sales page. they are only need https://. Using SSL with whole site (https://mysite.com/) makes any speed/performance/other issues? pls explain or provide related links. thanks in advance.

About Author

David Webb is the senior web developer for Gifty Gifts, an online gift store specialising in Fun Mugs, Money Pots, and Edward Monkton gifts.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 7:00 pm and is filed under SSL Certificate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.