Many more online shopping in Pakistan operations are expected in e-commerce in Latin America, but cyber-attack attempts will grow.
Since before the pandemic, large and small companies were already betting on having an Internet presence to continue expanding their businesses. This caused consumption trends to change radically, especially during confinement, turning definitively towards online purchases.
As shopping habits in physical stores were hampered since March 2020, consumers discovered the great advantages of shopping online. Although buying on the internet began as a necessity, the benefits of offers, variety, exclusive prices, speed and convenience are aspects that people continue to value to this day.
That is why, a global consumer information market data platform, estimates that by 2025 online sales in Latin America will continue to increase, exceeding 105.5 billion dollars.
However, it must be taken into account that, with the growth of electronic commerce, new forms of theft also appeared. According to the latest Fortinet report, in the first quarter of 2021 alone there have been more than 91 billion attempted cyberattacks.
Secure online shopping
Online businesses must demonstrate that their websites are safe places to conduct transactions and safeguard the privacy of their customers during the purchase process.
In turn, it is convenient for users to recognize certain signs and certifications that indicate that the web page is secure. DonWeb, a leading company in hosting and domain services in Latin America, details 5 tips for making secure online purchases, without being a victim of cybercriminals:
Check the reliability of the site
Sites like Amazon, as well as almost all major retail stores and large supermarket chains, are trusted places to shop online. However, it is necessary to make sure that you are on the official page, verifying the domain. This also applies to medium or small online stores.
Find the closed padlock
It is recommended never to shop online on a site that does not have SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption installed. How is that identified? SSL-certified web page URLs always begin with HTTPS, rather than just HTTP. In addition, they have a closed padlock icon on the left in the address bar or in the bottom status bar, depending on the browser.
This security measure is already so common that even Google Chrome marks as “not secure” any web page that does not have that additional S.
Take care of the information that is shared
The reality is that no secure online shopping site requests more than the data necessary to collect or make a shipment. It is important to be careful with other types of information that could be requested, since the more personal information scammers know, the more damage they can cause.
Check account statements
This measure helps to know, quickly, if you are being a victim of a cybercrime. In the card summary, you can identify unacknowledged purchases and act as soon as possible to stop improper charges. You should never wait for the account statement to arrive at the end of the month since today, thanks to the mobile apps garena top up pk of the banks, you can easily monitor the movements of an account.
Protect the computer
To have greater security when buying online, this last tip is an essential recommendation. Devices such as computers, laptops or cell phones where the purchase is made should be protected with the latest updates, in addition to reliable and current antivirus.
In this way, it will be possible to block any access of possible viruses that seek to collect personal information, bank details and expose unrecognized internet purchases.