16December 2009

Be Careful When Shopping Online at Work, BitDefender Warns

Don▓t let this holiday season be tarnished by identity theft; Shop online safely

BitDefender is warning employees who shop online at work to be extra cautious while buying gifts this holiday season. Online shopping can put an employee▓s identity and the company▓s network at risk. While most employees are aware of the dangers on the Web, most are more cautious of what links they click on and what sites they visit on their home computer. However, when it comes to shopping online, people who shop online from their work computers put much more information about themselves at risk.

⌠While shoppers should enjoy their online experience, it▓s important for them to be cautious as to what Web sites they are visiting, on what links they are clicking and about what emails they are opening,■ said Catalin Cosoi, BitDefender▓s senior antispam researcher. ⌠What many employees might not realize is that while their employer▓s network is secure, they are still at risk of encountering many e-threats as they purchase things online. When shopping online it is very important to ensure the sites being visited are legitimate. Otherwise, it is not going to be you celebrating this holiday season √ it will be the cybercriminal behind the attack.■

BitDefender is offering employees a few tips to consider before shopping online this holiday season:

• Only visit known and trusted websites.


• Be wary of ⌠great gift■ or ⌠special offer■ emails from unknown email addresses. They are likely fake and should be avoided.


• Use credit cards instead of debit cards. Debit cards offer a lower liability in case you are the victim of fraud.


• Check for security seals (the lock on the bottom right hand corner) on all shopping sites.


• Make sure the connection to the website is an https. This doesn't guarantee the site is safe, but in most cases they are safe.


• Consider alternative ways of payment such as cash upon delivery.