Online Shopping Tips

Online Shopping Tips - 2017-11-21

The holiday season is near with Black Friday around the corner millions of people around the world will be looking to buy that perfect gift. Many of us will choose to shop online, to find those great deals and avoid the long lines and crowds. Online shopping is easy and convenient, it takes just a few clicks to order a product and have it delivered to your front door. Unfortunately, it also makes it easy for many cyber criminals to scam and steal from others. Below we explain some of the risks of shopping online and how to find that great deal safely.

Make sure you’re buying from a legitimate online website address: While many online stores are legitimate, there are some fake websites set up by cyber criminals. Criminals create these fake websites by replicating the look of real sites or using the names of well-known stores or brands with slight changes. Examples, such store-amazon.com or amazoncom.com. Always check the web address in the browser to verify if you are on the legitimate site.

Access secure shopping sites that protect your information: Before purchasing any items, make sure your connection to the website is encrypted. Most browsers show a connection is encrypted by having a lock and/or the letters HTTPS in green right before the website’s name. Scam websites can be encrypted too, don’t let the use of https trick you that a site is legitimate.

Never use unencrypted or open/public Wi-Fi for online shopping: You should never buy things online from an open Wi-Fi network with no password. While on campus connect to NJITsecure for the best and safest wireless experience. NJITsecure offers you;

  1. Encrypted connections
  2. Automatically connect and roam across campus with a single logon
  3. Ability to connect to NJIT intranet and resources (Library journals etc.)
  4. Passwords that don't expire for 4 months
  5. It's the preferred network for Students, Faculty and Staff
  6. Only Guests and Visitors should be using the unencrypted "NJIT" wireless

Be a smart shopper: When possible, purchase from websites that you already know, trust, and have done business with previously. Look for obvious warning signs, like deals that are obviously too good to be true or poor grammar and spelling.

Use a credit card, not a debit card: Credit cards have some extra-legal defenses built in that make them safer to buy stuff with compared to debit cards.

Remember, just because the site looks professional does not mean it’s legitimate. If you aren’t comfortable with the website, don’t use it.

For additional tips to stay safe while online visit the following links:
https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2017/11/16/Holiday-Scams-a...
https://www.safewise.com/blog/10-cybersecurity-tips-for-online-shopping/
https://www.cyber.nj.gov/cyber-blog/staying-cyber-safe-this-holiday-season

Cyber security is our shared responsibility, Always STOP, THINK before you click or respond to any type of electronic communication.

If you have any questions about NJIT's cyber security efforts, or need to report an incident, please contact the IST Service Desk at 973-596-2900 or http://help.njit.edu