Security Center

 Frequently Asked Questions
Why is being secure such a concern?

 

Being secure [online] should be a top priority concern for all users of the Internet. The Internet has come a long way and has made the lives of its users much easier. You can shop for clothes online, purchase tickets online, and even order your groceries online, all without ever leaving your home!

Unfortunately, with all these luxuries, there comes risks. By making a purchase online, you're sending your personal information to each store venue. Some places, for example, your wireless cellular phone bill, has personal information like you full name, social security number, credit card information, and even your bank account information stored on their servers. Although there is a lot of security protecting your information, the information is still available for anyone who can hack into their system.

We're not discouraging you to never shop online, but we're encouraging you to play it safe when it comes to your information. Look and make sure that the website you're on is on a secured server. This means that any information passed to the server on that page is done securely. You can identify a secured website by looking for the following:

If you don't see at least one of the features above on a website you're about to send your personal information over to, we suggest that you do not proceed with sending your information.

Every major company will also have a URL identifying their website. (eg: there is 'www.paypal.com' above) If you're directed to a website with an IP address, for example you see: http://69.392.394.558/paypal.htm - know that this is a scam. Do not "log in" into their website and do not provide any information. This is called phishing (pronounced fishing). Spammers and hackers setup these fake websites to "fish out" as much information as they can. They make the websites look as real as possible, but they're 100% fake! Be aware!