While speaking with one of my customers this last week, the topic of stolen credit cards came up. In today’s age and economy, instances of stolen credit cards and stolen identities are running rampped.
I have addressed this before, but wanted to address it again. Although I am not a security tech nor a lawyer, I am very passionate about security. I have a love/hate relationship with credit cards. I love the convenience of allowing customers to use them to purchase from my store. But I hate the debt it causes. They have too many fees to the merchant and to the consumer. But, in this era we need to use them.
Here are some helpful ways to keep protected:
1) The number one way to avoid credit card theft is never to use your cards. That may not be a viable solution for you. So lets think more realistically.
2) Limit the paper. The first thing that anyone thinks of with credit cards is internet purchases, but it is not the only way people can get your number or identity. In fact, the mail or trash is still one of the easiest ways to steal a person’s information. It is quick and you do not have to be a computer programmer to access the data. You just have to be willing to go through yucky garbage or steal someone’s mail.
- Make sure you shred all mail, even advertisements for credit card offers.
- Put up a locking mail box.
- Do not have statements sent via mail. Log on to their secure websites to view.
- Mail bills and payments directly at the Post Office, not through your street box.
3) Restrict Purchases on-line by:
- Use only one card with a low credit line for all internet purchases.
- Keep a log of your purchases – date and company so you can identify when there is a problem.
- Purchase gift cards from the actual company you are purchasing from or one from a major credit card company so you can pay with the gift certificate rather than credit card. This is a form of debit card and will also help you stay out of debt.
- Place the order on-line and then phone in your credit card number.
- NEVER, Never send your credit card info via email. But if you have to send it in 3 different emails. It is easy for someone to capture one email randomly, but the odds of catching all 3 for the same person is very rare.
Sorry to dis PayPal™, but using PayPal™ does not 100% protect you. Giving them your number is just as dangerous or safe as giving a small merchant with a secure site. It is just a matter of who you want to give your information to.
4) So what make a site secure?
- Daily Scans: I spend boo-coo bucks each month to have my site “secure” from McFee Secure™. It receives daily security scans and provides a logo from the company telling you that it is active and scanned. It scans for potential vulnerabilities in which a hacker can get it. Basically it tries to hack my site daily. If it gets in, in any way it notifies me. If it is able to get in to any sensitive data (credit card numbers, profiles, etc.) it will even lock up my security with a notification and removal of the McFee Secure logo until I fix the problem.
- Identity Verification: Every site that is secure has to register their identity to proof they are who they say they are. When you click on the logo, it should give the name, location, and verified information. If that certificate does not match the website you are on, you might have potential problems.
- Little Locks and Cute Features: So do the little locks, green bars and other bells and whistles mean added security? Some do and some don’t. Not every site has them for the main reason, it costs more to get them. There is one feature that all secure websites has. It is the one way you can tell if the site has security features in place. Look at the address bar in your web-browser. Watch how you change to different pages it goes from “http:” to “https:.” This “s” will not happen unless security features are in place. Note that not all pages need to be secure. Pages like registration, password and log-in, cart and checkout pages are the ones that are needing the security, because they transfer your personal data. Other pages like product descriptions do not need to be secure. On some sites you will see it go from a secure to non-secure page. You might even get a warning, but it does not mean the site is not secure where it counts.
- Here are additional articles on Security:
5) For making purchases in person:
- Make sure all copies of CC slips are accounted for.
- Do not let your credit card go out of your site.
- Shred receipts not needing to be saved for tax reasons.
- Scan and save all your receipts on a CD and store with tax papers for that year rather than the actual receipt.
6) Protections starts at your end, first!
- Keep up-to-date with Program Updates: Make sure you are using upgrade web-browsing software, computer security software, and system software. Most upgrades are security based and help keep your computer, thus keeps your credit card information and identity safe.
- Got Cell Phone??: We are a people that wants that constant link with other. Just go to a restaurant and see how many people are texting, on the internet, or talking on the phone. (What happened to enjoying the company that you are with?? – Any how that is another topic.) Don’t give your credit card information, social security number, or drivers license to anyone over a cell phone. Reasons:
- It is not a secure line. Transmissions can be captured with the right equipment from an electronics store.
- It can be overheard by anyone.
- Protect your network. With wireless networks and hardware popping up everywhere, there is a lot of information floating through the air.
- Make sure your network is hidden with a secure password. Passwords with a combination of upper and lower case letters along with numbers are way harder to guess or randomly select. There is a very interesting article regarding passwords in the NY Times. Also, if you can see your neighbor’s networks, they can see yours. So can anyone driving into the neighborhood. Hide the network, if possible on your system, so that someone cannot even join or see the network without knowing the name.
- Change your Network name and password frequently. And do not use the default name that comes with it, yours or any family member’s name, your pet’s name, phone number, nor your address.
- If you use WiFi in hotels or internet cafes, makes sure there is firewall on your computer and that the computer itself has a password. Make sure you have up-to-date virus and malware software.
If you would like more information about protecting yourself, please checkout my other articles in my
Keeping Your Identity Safe (#1)
Keeping Your Identity Safe (#2)
Keeping Your Identity Secure (#3)
Authors bio is coming up shortly.
