There are lots of e-commerce websites that you can visit today and buy stuff from. Most of these e-commerce stores will also provide you with the option to download their mobile apps, which you can use to shop on the go. Just by opening the app, you can buy whatever you want and get the stuff delivered to your door a few days later. That’s the convenience of online shopping, and more people prefer this type of shopping than actually going to the department stores and buy stuff there.
However, with online shopping, you are putting your personal and financial information at risk. You are actually submitting the information to the e-commerce stores, which means that if they are not trustworthy, they can share your personal information when they want it. Moreover, your credit card information is tied to those online stores, which makes it even riskier if you are not careful about what you are doing. In order to protect your privacy, you need to ensure that you are shopping in a private and secure way. Here are 5 tips to ensure that your online shopping activity is completely private and safe:
1. Use Two-Factor Authentication For Logging Into The Store
Most e-commerce stores will allow you to log into their e-commerce platform easily, including by connecting your store account with your social media account. By simply clicking the social media button, you can log into the store platform without having to put your username and password manually. This is not a good way to secure your account. You need to log into your account manually using your email address and password and then activate the two-factor authentication system to ensure that each login session is approved by you.
2. Don’t Share Your Password With Anyone
Of course you will need a password to log into your favorite e-commerce platform, and most of the time, you can store your password on your browser. While it is obvious that keeping the password for yourself is a secure method to keep your account safe, some people might become careless with their password. Some people might let other people know about their online store password by sharing it with their spouses, friends, siblings, and so on. Often, when a bad staff or employee from the online store ask them about the password, they will give it away since they don’t understand the implication of this action. Remember that you need to keep in mind not to share your password with anyone else ever.
3. Never Do Your Online Shopping From A Shared Device
Using a shared device to do your online shopping is like sharing your username and password to other people. In so doing, you will also be sharing your personal and financial information to other people as well. Don’t do your shopping activity from a shared device whether it is in the library or internet café. You shouldn’t also do your online shopping in the devices owned by other people, such as your friends and family. Always do your online shopping in your own device if you want to keep your shopping activity safe and private.
4. Always Use An Encrypted Network When Buying Things Online
When you are about to do some online shopping activity, make sure that the network you are using is encrypted. You shouldn’t just use any hotspot to connect to your favorite e-commerce store and buy stuff there. Your network connection matters for your online security. If you are using a free hotspot for your online shopping activity, chances are your network connection is being monitored by the third parties. Hackers can also steal your passwords if you are using unprotected and non-encrypted network connection.
5. Use VPN To Protect All Your Online Shopping Activity
Make sure that you are using a private connection in your online shopping activity in order to keep your activity private and secure. If possible, choose the private server that is the same as your country of origin if you are shopping locally. This is to ensure that you are still using your country’s IP address, while hiding your real IP address at the same time. In this way, your shopping activity will be more private and secure. Not only protecting your online shopping activity, VPN can also protect you from various possible online threats that can be dangerous for your online privacy.
Those are the tips to ensure that your online shopping activity is completely private and safe. When you buy stuff online, it is always important for you to keep all your personal and financial information private and secure. By ensuring that your online store account and internet network are secure, you can buy anything online without worrying about any possible security risks.