If you are concerned about the safety of shopping on the web, you are not alone. This is certainly a valid concern. There are measures you can take to help ensure that your information is secure. How do you know which websites to trust?

First of all, the best policy is to shop at well known sites. These sites are well established and have solid reputations. There are of course smaller, less known sites which are safe also; this article will give you tips on how to judge the safely of a website for shopping.

The first sign of a secure, safe shopping site is the icon of the small closed lock at the right lower side of your browser window. If you do online banking, you will have seen this icon. The lock signifies that the site uses SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, a method of encryption which prevents hackers from being able to see your information while is is transferred on the web. Another sign of a secure site is the secure http, or https:// instead of http://.

When looking for the SSL icon, it might not be displayed until you reach the checkout portion of the order. When you are on the final page before placing the order, the SSL lock icon or the https:// should be visible. If not, then do not place your order. Send an email to the merchant and ask about secure ordering.

Many sites also have been certified by the Better Business Bureau, Verisign, E-Trust or other companies which validate the safety and security of a site. These sites will display the logo prominently.

Even though a site states that they have secure ordering, look for the lock or the https:// before placing an order. I recently visited a site which had prominently stated in several places that they had secure ordering. They also had a form for people to submit their health insurance information including Medicare and Medicaid information. The site sells wheelchairs and medical equipment. Just as a test, I put a couple of items into the shopping cart and clicked place order. Not only was there no sign of the SSL symbol or https://, I got a security warning that there was a problem with the security certificate. When I clicked on the warning for more information, it stated that the certificate had expired in 1999. I sent an email to the company inquiring about my findings, however I have not received a response.

A trusted merchant must have a privacy policy. Read it carefully. It will state what information is collected, whether or not is personally identifiable, and how it is used including whether or not it is shared with third parties. The policy should also state whether or not cookies are used for tracking purposes. A cookie is a small text file which will be viewed each time you visit the website which placed it on your computer and may also be viewed by other sites. Cookies are used to track your web surfing habits and will usually provide you with personalized information when you visit that site.

For a good example of a privacy policy, I suggest reading Amazon.com's Privacy Policy which is very detailed and explicit.

How about your credit card - is it safe to use online? A good idea is to have one credit card with a low credit limit to use for online shopping only. In case unauthorized purchases are made, you will be able to identify them more easily. Always review your credit card statement carefully. And NEVER send your credit card information in an email.

There are other risks for your privacy and security on the web. Many companies have resorted to deceptive practices by which software is downloaded into your computer, usually without your knowledge or permission. These include browser helper objects, toolbars, browser or homepage hijackers, adware, spyware and parasiteware. Some examples of these are Xupiter, Gator, Hotbar, Huntbar, Cytron, Lop, and the list goes on and on. Problems related to these items on your computer include unwanted pop-ups, being redirected to unwanted sites such as porn sites, unwanted toolbars which are difficult to get rid of, using up large amount of resources in your computer making it run sluggishly, transmitting your personal data over the internet without your knowledge to be used by unscrupulous companies for their own gain.

Another effect of this unsolicited software is that causes honest, hardworking website owners to lose sales and income. Parasiteware can redirect the credit and payments for online orders from the website owner to an unscrupulous company without your knowledge. For a detailed description and definition of parasiteware, read Andrew Clover's article at www.doxdesk.com. The page also has a script which checks your own computer and browser for this unwanted parasiteware/adware/spyware.

For more information and resources for removing parasiteware, read the entire article by Andrew and the information at my Computing Topics page. Once you begin learning about this problem, you will be amazed and appalled at the nature and scope of the deceptive practices being used.

Online shopping is convenient, fun and offers a rich opportunity for product info, comparison and reviews, as well as considerable savings in many cases. As long as you adhere to the safety measures outlined here, you should have a safe and pleasant online shopping experience.

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