Ever get that feeling of dread while typing your credit card number into some random website? Ever feel your financial security withering away with each keystroke trying to get your daughter those "Powerpuff Girl" socks? I sure have. Though the real question is: should you? Is there any merit to hundreds of reports about stolen credit card numbers, hackers, and fraud? Well, yes there is. In fact, you should never buy anything with your credit card again. But since you will anyway, here's how to be a little safer.

First, the Internet is much safer than most places you visit in person. Think about the gas station. Not to offend gas station attendants around the world, but these guys whom you so casually hand your credit card to may not necessarily be the most trustworthy individuals you've ever met. The waiter at the restaurant? Did you tip him well? Watch out. What about the store clerk making minimum wage? Do you think she cares about your financial security? Probably not. Any of these people are much more likely to swipe your number than Internet stores. Think of it this way, the gas station guy gets your number and hands it to his friend. There's no record of where your number exists except that you visited a gas station.

The Internet, however, is wrought with tracking, documentation, logs, access control, passwords, and a slew of encryption, security, and protections. Is it 100% safe? Of course not, nothing is. There's always that hacker who can break into any system. But once he breaks in, chances are he'll be found out and you can be notified before thousands of dollars of charges appear on your statement. Do you think anyone will notify you if "Mr. I Don't Like My Tip" takes a bold move?

So now that we're happy with online purchases, let's not get careless. First, buy from accredited merchants. Macys.com is a safe bet. It's Macys. 100PercentFreeTaxFiling.com ... well I'd be skeptical. Look at the site for a professional feel to it. If there are flashing banner ads, and the site looks poorly made, then the company obviously doesn't do well enough to care about their image. If that's the case, do you think they'll care about your money? Also, when you finally do decide to buy, check for a secure connection. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is the technology that protects information being transmitted from your computer to the merchant's computer. Usually there will be a notice or icon on your web browser that lets you know if you're working over SSL. Don't do it without SSL.

Most of all, use common sense and some general rules of life: 1) If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't; 2) You get what you pay for; and 3) Let the buyer beware.

As for me, there's no question which is safer, there's no question that the 128 Bit Encryption that SSL provides beats the gas station attendant.

Published in 2002