Business Daily<\/a> (Nairobi)<\/p>\nMark Okuttah<\/p>\n
14 December 2011<\/p>\n
\nHaving one credit or debit card dedicated for online shopping can help reduce the risks associated with cyber crime says an internet security analyst.<\/p>\n
Andrey Kostin, Kaspersky Lab analyst, says during this month people prefer to do online shopping , making hotel reservations, renting, and buying airline tickets using their cards but that fraudsters targeting confidential data that is provided to a store or bank’s website online are also lurking around, calling for extra care.<\/p>\n
He also warns about numerous fraudulent online stores offering a wide selection of goods.<\/p>\n
“In the best case scenario, you may actually get what you pay for; but in the worst case, you’ll lose all the money on your card,” said Mr Kostin.<\/p>\n
“When planning to shop online, it is advisable to get a separate plastic card to use exclusively for such transactions and top up the balance immediately before each purchase.”<\/p>\n
He adds that it is always best for one to do online shopping at well-known and highly recommended online store. However, when searching for an online store, there is always the risk that one might end up on a fraudulent website.<\/p>\n
According to Kostin, fraudulent sites are usually short-lived because malicious users often do not spend a lot of time or effort on their design.<\/p>\n
“Fake sites may have links that do not work, while some tabs and websites may not even function properly or result in error messages. If there is any doubt about the legitimacy of an online store, an Internet search can reveal more information such as the store’s contact details, bank details and much more.”<\/p>\n
One of the most dangerous aspects of shopping online, he says, is when making a payment for an order.<\/p>\n
To prevent malicious users from intercepting confidential data entered on an online store’s website, the data must be sent in encrypted form.<\/p>\n
The first thing that users should look for before entering their private data is the letter ‘S’ in the address bar, for example, “HTTPS”.<\/p>\n
AllAfrica – All the Time<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n