Newswise — With gasoline prices and free time at a premium, Margie Martyn says online shopping is a good alternative for holiday shopping--if consumers take a few necessary precautions. Martyn, a computer science professor at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio (and a dedicated online shopper), says consumers can often find a wider variety of goods and sizes online than in most stores. "As an added incentive, especially close to the holidays," she says, "online merchants offer free shipping with a minimum order and those orders usually arrive quickly." Perhaps the most important precaution, according to Martyn, is that online shoppers need to make sure that their computers have virus and spyware protection software. "Virus protection software is inexpensive and spyware protection, such as SpyBot, is free and can be downloaded from the Web," she says. "Also, turn off your computer when it is not in use," she recommends. "If you have cable or a DSL line, a hacker using tracking programs, might be able to grab your information eventually." Martyn has made an extensive study of identity theft. She suggests that consumers check the government web site, http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft "The site not only lists ways to avoid identify theft," she states, "but offers information on where and how to report suspected identify theft." Professor Martyn urges consumers to shop only with companies which have secure Web sites. She says they should have one of three indicators: "VeriSign" logo (a big red checkmark), a URL address that begins with "https" or a lock icon at the bottom of the page. "Don't submit your credit card information unless you see one of these verifications," she says. Every site also should have address and phone contact information. "If there is no such information, that's a big red flag," Martyn says. "Change your password frequently," the Baldwin-Wallace College professor explains. "Use at least six characters and use a combination of letters and numbers." She suggests adjusting a password, even by one or two characters, every three months for added protection. Martyn also recommends setting up a free e-mail account on Yahoo or MSN, which is used only for online shopping. "Many companies require your e-mail information as part of your account information," she says. "Then they sell those addresses to spammers." She also suggests using a separate credit card only for online shopping to make it easier to track purchases. She points out that consumers should be aware of the End Users Licensing Agreement, which tells a user, among other things, how the information a customer provides is used, where that information is shared and how the site is secured. "Read the EULA," she cautions, "and keep in mind that, at any site, there should be an option not to receive e-mails."
The bottom line: it is simply too easy for cyber thieves to get away with stealing financial or identity information online. Professor Martyn points out that current "get-tough" laws are having little or no effect, that more aggressive enforcement and prosecution are needed to deter would-be thieves—and that powerful federal laws must be written to hold organizations that handle sensitive information more accountable. Right now, she says, only the thieves are responsible, if they're ever caught—and says the organizations that lose people's sensitive personal information should also be slapped with a stiff penalty.
Although Professor Martyn says she firmly believes in the ease and safety of online shopping, the frequency of identity theft--whether online or offline--leads her to check her credit status regularly. "New laws allow people to receive a free credit report once a year from each of three agencies," notes Martyn. She recommends staggering those checks among the three sites and thereby checking personal credit status several times each year. "Online stores never close," says Martyn, "which is great for consumers"¦but it seems hackers and identity thieves never sleep."
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