series of tubes<\/a> that we call the world wide web, just remember to follow Cautious Carl\u2019s Safe Holiday Online Shopping rules and you\u2019ll be a master gift giver in no time\u2014just like me!<\/p>\nCarl\u2019s Safe Holiday Online Shopping Rule #1: Stay Home<\/h2>\n
That\u2019s right. Stay right there on your couch. Look, I\u2019m not going to BS you. I hate crowds of people. I have multiple phobias that overlap on crowds and it\u2019s just a nightmare waiting to happen. And really, even though there are some great deals at brick and mortar stores, do you really feel like leaving at\u00a06PM on Thanksgiving day to go pitch a tent outside of Best Buy and risk getting trampled over a $200 flat screen TV? Trampling sounds like a pretty terrible way to go. It\u2019s pretty low on my list. Right in between being catapaulted into the grand canyon and death by ice cream (don’t ask).<\/p>\n
Anyway, regardless of what you do on Black Friday \u2013 stay in or go out \u2013 always do your online shopping from home. It may be tempting to log on to the internet at the coffee shop or in the airport, but WiFi is notoriously unsecure, even more so in light of the recent KRACK exploits. Granted, you could set up a VPN, but I\u2019d be willing to wager that anyone who\u2019s coming to Carl for advice on Safe Holiday Online Shopping probably doesn\u2019t know a VPN from a VCR. Just avoid the risk and shop from the comfort of your couch.<\/p>\n
Carl\u2019s Safe Holiday Online Shopping Rule #2: Check the URL<\/h2>\n
Always check the URL. You can get a lot of information just from looking at the address of the page you\u2019re on. This is doubly important if you\u2019re following links, because the text of the link doesn\u2019t necessarily tell you where you\u2019re being pointed. So first of all, check the domain. Is it the domain you expected? If it\u2019s not, you\u2019re about to get duped. Run.<\/p>\n
Second, if the domain checks out, check the protocol. There are two: HTTP and HTTPS. Remember, HTTP is outmoded. It lacks encryption. Anyone that wants to, can eavesdrop on your connection and steal any information being transmitted. And remember, you\u2019re shopping, so what\u2019s being transmitted is personal and financial information about you. That\u2019s not good. So make sure the websites you\u2019re visiting are served over HTTPS.<\/p>\n
Carl\u2019s Safe Holiday Online Shopping Rule #3: Click the Padlock<\/h2>\n
Next to the URL in the address bar should be a padlock icon. Remember, if there\u2019s no padlock you\u2019re on an HTTP website and your connection isn\u2019t secure. So there should be a padlock. Now click on it and view the certificate details. What you\u2019re looking at is this website\u2019s SSL certificate. In addition to encrypting, SSL certificates contain verified information about the entity that operates the website. Depending on the level of validation you\u2019ll either see verified business information, or just a single line about who the site is registered to.<\/p>\n
If you see business information, it\u2019s OK to take that at face. It\u2019s been verified by a trusted third party. However, if it\u2019s not there, take pause. That doesn\u2019t mean you should automatically distrust the site, but most legitimate companies take steps to give you as much information as possible. They want your trust. It\u2019d be weird for them not to do everything in their power to earn it.<\/p>\n
Oh, and one last thing, if you see the company\u2019s name in the address bar there\u2019s no need to click the padlock. You\u2019re where you should be.<\/p>\n
Carl\u2019s Safe Holiday Online Shopping Rule #4: Look for Site Seals<\/h2>\n
A Site Seal is a small logo that a website can place on its home- or checkout page that says it\u2019s been vetted by a trusted third party. Most of them can be clicked on and display real-time information about the company as well as a timestamp.<\/p>\n
These are there for a reason. Almost any company that accepts payment should have one as a result of Payment Card Industry requirements. And legitimate websites don\u2019t hide these, either. They\u2019re right in the footer or next to the submit button on the checkout page.<\/p>\n
Look for these, if you don\u2019t see them. That\u2019s a sign.<\/p>\n
Safe Holiday Online Shopping is easy, just follow my rules<\/h2>\n
That\u2019s right, as long as you follow these four rules you should have no problems with safe holiday online shopping. And here\u2019s a final tip for the road: use common sense. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. There\u2019s no point taking unnecessary risks that could cost you big time on the very small chance that you actually did find a free iPhone or Playstation.<\/p>\n
Just use common sense. Famous last words.<\/p>\n
Stay cautious, my friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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