Safety is one of the biggest concerns everyone has. It’s the reason why we use seat belts when we drive; the reason why we wear helmets when we ride bikes; the reason why we put on gloves when working with electricity; it is also the reason why antivirus programs exist.
The physical world is full of dangers and risks that we all try our best to protect ourselves from; there’s the harsh weather that makes us wear comfortable clothing and live in houses; there’s the threat of fire outbreaks that makes us more cautious and have fire extinguishers all around us. Well, the internet is not so different either. The internet is full of risks and dangers as well. There is malicious content being distributed all over the web in the form of malware, viruses, spyware and many more. There are also people with fraudulent intentions that try to trick people into giving them sensitive information through phishing attempts. It is estimated that up to $600 billion dollars is lost yearly to cybercrime all over the world. These cyber attacks most often target credit card users in an attempt to defraud them of their money. If you still don’t believe there are real threats online, check Norton’s detailed report on cybercrime. This is why it is important to know how to protect your credit card data when using it online.
What are the best safety practices when using credit cards online?
It goes without saying that credit card fraud will continue to happen as long as people don’t take basic precautions. You shouldn’t have to fall victim first before you find out how to stay safe when using your credit card online. Below are some safety tips that can increase your protection online:
- Keep your account details private: One of the very first safety measures you can take with your online transactions is to keep your account details private. Your password and account number should be known only to you. This helps to protect your money even if your credit card gets lost or stolen.
- Secure your devices and networks: The devices you use to conduct transactions on your account must be equipped with a good firewall and solid security software. Consider getting a good antivirus to protect your computer and other devices from malicious content. A good anti-spyware is also recommended to further beef up the security of your devices.
- Avoid checking your accounts on public networks: Public networks are just that; public. This means a lot of people have access to the network and can spy on your activities if they know their way around hacking and other unethical means of stealing information. Your accounts and credit card will be less prone to attacks if you avoid public wi-fi networks.
- Protect yourself online: Online banking and shopping are becoming more and more accepted worldwide. This means more transactions are carried out with credit cards online; more than ever before. It then only makes sense to acquaint ourselves with better safety practices when online. When shopping online, make sure that the website you’re buying from is secure; you can verify this by checking the website’s URL. Sites with HTTPS: are more secure than sites with HTTP: The difference is the ‘s’ which stands for ‘secured’. This simple check can save you a lot of stress and headache in the long run. Also, ensure that you buy from reputable websites that can easily be contacted if there are disputes on your purchases.
Invariably, ensuring safety when using your credit card online is an active effort. You must always stay vigilant so that you won’t lose your money online. To do all this, you need all the help you can get and that is why the most important step you can take to protect your credit card data is to get a really good antivirus.
How does an antivirus protect my credit card data?
It is impossible not to come across shady websites or malicious threats when using the internet for business or pleasure. That is why an antivirus is such an important tool to have on any device. Antivirus programs are specifically designed to detect, block and destroy malicious threats on computers and other devices. The following are some of the ways an antivirus can protect your credit card data:
- You can safely store pins and passwords: Antivirus programs like Avast antivirus have secure password storage features that help you to create and store complex passwords and pins. With a good antivirus, you won’t need to write your passwords and pins in places where prying eyes can easily find them.
- Detect and remove viruses and malware: Viruses and malware are malicious code designed to infiltrate a user’s computer and other devices with the aim of stealing valuable information. Some viruses can hide on your computer and give away your information to fraudsters to steal from you. An antivirus software can help guard against that; with real-time scans, you can easily detect and delete malware and viruses from your computer.
- Browse the internet safely: Some antivirus programs have fantastic VPNs that can protect your privacy when using the internet. This is a great option if you have no other choice than to use public networks; having an active antivirus will protect your information online.
- Protection from phishing attacks: Phishing is a major threat to online banking; with the manipulative and fraudulent intentions involved. Phishing attacks can come from anywhere; an email, Google docs, LinkedIn or even social media sites. Phishers have perfected the act to the extent that even the most vigilant internet user can still be tricked into giving away his/her credit card data. With a good antivirus, the anti-phishing feature will guard against any form of phishing attacks against you.
What is the best antivirus I can use?
This is a really important question and it is easy to find a great antivirus software to use; you just need to know where to look. Based on the opinion of tech experts, the best antivirus programs you can use to protect your credit card data include Avast, Kaspersky, TotalAV, ScanGuard, AVG, McAfee, Norton and Intego. You can read more about these antivirus programs here. Stay protected and use any of these antivirus programs today.
