Online Shopping Blog - Security Tips to Keep in Mind

The best part about shopping through an online shopping blog is that today almost anything can be bought on the net. From groceries to vacation packages, everything is available on the net at the moment.

However, as with everything there are risks associated with purchasing goods on the net. A smart shopper always takes precautions while buying goods at a regular retail store. Similarly a shopper should always keep certain things in mind while purchasing goods on an e-commerce website.

Shop On Secured Site

When purchasing goods on an e-commerce site, you must first ensure that the site is secure or not. A secured site ensures that any information that you enter on the site will not be seen by a third party.

A secured online shopping blog will show https:// in its website address. Moreover, its transaction page will show a closed padlock symbol at the bottom of the page. The closed padlock symbol is a sign of a secured site. Some secured sites carry an unbroken key symbol to indicate their secured status. Shoppers must check for these symbols before doing any transaction.

When it comes to purchasing goods through an e-commerce website, one must not shop at the first site that you come across. It is always best to buy goods from sites that are reliable or well known.

Shop On Reliable Sites

To find out whether an online shopping blog is reliable or not, the shopper should first check the physical address provided on the site. A legitimate business will always provide an address that is reachable. Plus the company will also provide a contact number for its customers.

Shoppers can check with the Better Business Bureau to further ensure that they are doing business with a legitimate site.

Use Credit Cards

When purchasing goods on an e-commerce site, it is best to use a credit card. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, a shopper has a right to dispute a charge that he/she thinks has been fraudulently put on the account. Moreover, the shopper can put a stop to payments till the investigation is completed.

It is never advisable to use a debit card or check when buying goods on an online shopping blog. The information on the debit card and checks can always be used by thieves to rob shoppers of their money.

Do Not Disclose Social Security Number

When purchasing goods on an e-commerce website, one must never give out their social security number. First of all, social security number is never required for purchasing goods on the net. If the site is asking for one, you must skip it.

With these tips in mind, you can have a safe and hassle free experience on e-commerce websites. These are very simple tips to follow and one that will benefit the shoppers.

You can buy anything and everything from an online shopping blog using credit cards and visiting reliable sites.

Worms - The Most Dominant Security Problem

According to Microsoft's latest version of the semi-annual Security Intelligence Report (SIR), Conficker worm is still one of the most dominant threats of PCs using Windows. Five million computers were found to be infected with Conficker. It can be spread either by exploiting a vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows Server service, through infected removable media or brute-forcing weak passwords on other PCs. Microsoft was alarmed with Conficker's continuous circulation mainly in enterprises. Conficker has a password-cracking ability that can spread fast if one PC in the company is already infected.

Another worm named is Taterf. It took the second spot when it comes to the most infections, specifically 4.9 million. Taterf is known for stealing authentication and account information for popular online games like World of Warcraft, Lineage, Maple Story and more. It can be spread through infected drives such as a USB stick or an infected network drive.

Next in the line is the Zlob. It is a Trojan horse spreading while making people believe that it is a media codec than a virus. A media codec is software used to encode and decode audio or video. Zlob can be removed using Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT).

Microsoft mentioned the growing numbers of security problems including the fake antivirus programs. These programs seems to be a legitimate software but do not actually work. They just annoy people with pop-up menus displaying that their computer is infected and will only stop after purchasing the software for as much as $60. Microsoft has added new antivirus software such as Windows Defender and the MSRT to detect more worms and viruses.

Different countries encounter different threats. Trojan horse programs, known for downloading other malicious software, are the biggest threat in countries like United States, United Kingdom, France and Italy. In Brazil, malicious software intended for online banking is the problem. Worms are still dominant in South Korea and Spain.

Microsoft has proven that worms are the most dominant security problem for PCs. With the blink of an eye, a Conficker, Taterf or Zlob can easily infect your computer. The right thing to do is protect your PC right away with an antivirus software. If you need help with antivirus software or virus removal, Techie Now is here to give the fast and safe services that you need. With Techie Now, we will keep your PC clean and protected.

If you want your PC to be protected, Techie Now is ready to provide you flexible, quick and safe services when it comes to virus and spyware removal, performance optimization, software installation and configuration, and other general repair. Feel free to visit us, http://www.techienow.com