• Latest

Experts warn of cyber threats during peak online shopping season

December 23, 2013
African Queen (1951)

Laura (1944)

September 26, 2023

Vermont Farm Service Agency is Accepting Emergency Conservation Program Applications

September 26, 2023

Governor Phil Scott Announces $5 Million In Funding Available For Homeowners To Fix Failed Wells And Septic Systems

September 26, 2023

North by Northeast: Navigating Your Small Business Sept 30

September 26, 2023

Montpelier Fall Festival

September 26, 2023

How to Replace Vital Documents Lost or Damaged by Floods

September 19, 2023

9th-12th Grade Students Invited to Submit to Bennington College Young Writers Awards

September 19, 2023

Ten Key Facts to Know About Federal Disaster Assistance

September 19, 2023
African Queen (1951)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

September 19, 2023
Just Some Thoughts

The Blessings of Fall

September 19, 2023
African Queen (1951)

Amadeus (1984)

September 12, 2023

Montpelier Food Pantry Now in City Center

September 12, 2023
  • Home
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
Monday, October 2, 2023
The World Online
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News & Features
    • Local News
    • Letters & opinions
    • George Shuman
    • Max’s View
    • Local Sports & Outdoors
    • Births
  • Calendar
    • Art Exhibits
    • Calendar of Events
    • Ongoing Events
  • Obituaries
  • Submit
    • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
    • Submit An Article To The World
    • Submit Letter To The Editor
    • Submit Sports News/Photo
    • Submit Birth Announcement
    • Submit Engagement Announcement
    • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Advertising
    • World Rates and Ad Sizes
    • World Distribution Map
    • World Deadlines
    • Audit and Reader Surveys
    • Advertising Inquiry
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ads
    • View Current Classifieds
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News & Features
    • Local News
    • Letters & opinions
    • George Shuman
    • Max’s View
    • Local Sports & Outdoors
    • Births
  • Calendar
    • Art Exhibits
    • Calendar of Events
    • Ongoing Events
  • Obituaries
  • Submit
    • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
    • Submit An Article To The World
    • Submit Letter To The Editor
    • Submit Sports News/Photo
    • Submit Birth Announcement
    • Submit Engagement Announcement
    • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Advertising
    • World Rates and Ad Sizes
    • World Distribution Map
    • World Deadlines
    • Audit and Reader Surveys
    • Advertising Inquiry
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ads
    • View Current Classifieds
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The World Online
No Result
View All Result

Experts warn of cyber threats during peak online shopping season

by
December 23, 2013
in Tech
0

Consumers often associate holiday shopping with long lines, crowded stores and overpriced goods. In recent years, many have turned to e-commerce as an easier alternative – holiday shopping without the headache. This year e-commerce sales are projected to reach $ 262 billion, a 13-percent increase over 2012.

Hampering celebration of this stress-free alternative to in-store shopping is the rapid growth of cybercrime. Cyber thieves are to blame for $ 113 billion in consumer financial losses in the last 12 months. That’s enough money to host the London 2012 Olympics nearly 10 times over. An equally alarming statistic is the rising average loss per victim, which doubled from 2012 to 2013 to $ 298.

Despite the aforementioned dangers, many online shoppers are unaware of the risks associated with online shopping and don’t believe they’ll become one of the 556 million annual victims. Forty-eight percent of smartphone and tablet users do not take even the basic precautions such as using passwords, installing security software or backing up files from their mobile devices.

“As the popularity of online shopping continues to skyrocket, so do the opportunities for hackers to steal personal information,” says Bob Bunge, professor in the College of Engineering and Information Sciences at DeVry University and consultant at the William Factory Small Business Incubator in Tacoma, Wash. “Online shoppers need to be aware of the risks associated with e-commerce and take proactive steps to protect themselves.”

Bunge offers the following tips for consumers to protect themselves from cyber attacks:

* Boost password strength: Weak and ineffective passwords enable identity theft. The first rule of password construction is to go long. Short passwords can be uncovered by high-speed programs built to steal password combinations.

* Ditch the debit cards: Debit cards are the least secure option for e-commerce purchases. PayPal and credit cards offer much better consumer protections including dispute resolution and fraud prevention.

* Use the most secure network possible: Wired networks are always preferable to wireless. If a wired network is not an option, make sure to use a secure wireless network that requires an encryption key. Be especially wary of accessing public Wi-Fi services at places like airports and coffee shops.

* Don’t store personal finance information: Don’t store credit card details online. Storing any payment information online exponentially increases the probability of a cyber attack.

* Shop on reputable sites: Scammers often begin fake URL’s with names of reputable companies to lure consumers in. To avoid accidently clicking on an infected site, look for the SSL certificate and ensure the site starts with https:// and has a padlock icon.

Bunge adds, “While consumers should follow these tips all year long, they should remain extra vigilant during the holidays to avoid the increased risk of falling victim to cybercrime.”


Tags: CyberduringExpertsonlinePeakseasonShoppingthreatswarn
Previous Post

Vermont’s New Free Ice Fishing Day

Next Post

The ultimate road trip

Next Post

The ultimate road trip

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This Week’s Ads

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
The World
403 US Route 302
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: (802) 479-2582

Copyright © 2019 The World Online. All Rights Reserved. Powered by CoolerAds.

No Result
View All Result
  • Art Exhibits
  • Audit and Reader Surveys
  • Births
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Daily Horoscope
  • Fall Guide 2023
  • Food & Recipe
  • Home
  • Obituaries
  • Ongoing Events
  • Pay Your Bill Here
  • Senior Living Edition
  • Showtimes
  • Submit Birth Announcement
  • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
  • Submit Engagement Announcement
  • Submit Listing to our Local Directory
  • Submit Sports News/Photo
  • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Testimonials
  • Weather Forecast
  • World Coupons
  • World Deadlines
  • World Distribution Map
  • World Rate Card
  • World Rates and Ad Sizes
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • About Us
  • Vermont Lottery
  • Advertising Information
  • The World Staff
  • Advertising Inquiry
  • Submit Letter To The Editor
  • Local Directory
  • Poll Results
  • Local Deals
  • Classifieds
  • Submit An Article To The World
  • Events
  • The World – This Week’s Online Digital Edition
  • The World Auto & Sports

Copyright © 2019 The World Online. All Rights Reserved. Powered by CoolerAds.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In