Buying online allows you to make good business, but pay attention to safety

We are approaching the Christmas shopping season, many of which will be made using the tools available online. McAfee has commissioned to MSI-ACI an interesting analysis that aims to delineate the behavior of the buyers of the various regions regarding the IT security procedures implemented in the moment in which they proceed to an online purchase.

In spite of the high diffusion of online tools for product purchases, there seems to be a lack of awareness of the risks that web-based purchasing procedures can make in terms of information security.

49% of survey respondents say they use unsecured Wi-Fi connections for Internet purchases, 64% say that, in order to save money, they would be willing to buy a gift from an online retailer of dubious reliability compared to their trusted retailer.

As many as 80% agree that buying Christmas gifts during the holiday season is a source of stress from an economic point of view and more than half of the survey participants (58%) admit that this makes them much less cautious and attentive when shopping online.

The inhabitants of Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto are more likely to make purchases safely during the holidays, as evidenced by some data that represent the attention with which they proceed during online shopping.

In fact, 42% of respondents say they would never click on a link in an email from an unknown sender, and only 28% of respondents say they would buy items from an unsafe online retailer, even if the price it was extremely cheaper, and only 4% of residents in these regions do not check URLs, grammar or website design before making an online purchase.

On the other hand, the inhabitants of Sicily and Sardinia are more exposed to the risk of falling victim to the behavior of a cyber-criminal: 64% of those interviewed who live in these regions say that they are more imprudent when shopping online because of the typical economic this period. Most respondents admit that they would use an unknown website if it contained savings promises and advantageous offers.

McAfee’s research provides a picture of the situation with regard to gender characteristics: the most negligent in terms of protecting security during online purchases are men. As much as 63%, declares to be less attentive to the risks of online shopping because of the stress that, especially from a financial point of view, the travel to gifts brings with it. The most affected age group (46%) is between 21 and 30 years old.

What to do to get away from cyber attacks? McAfee provides a handbook that starts with an awareness of how public Wi-Fi can be vehicles for more vulnerable cyber attacks. Always good in these cases use a virtual private network (VPN) to ensure a secure connection.

It is also essential to think before clicking. One of the simplest ways that cybercriminals hit is indeed through phishing emails that contain offers to attract consumers to click on links that could actually lead to malware, or a fake website designed to steal personal information. Instead of clicking on the link in an email, it is always best to check the source directly to verify an offer or shipment.

It is almost obvious to remember that a security protection system installed in your device, from a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone, is essential to ensure that any attacks can be neutralized in time. But this, hopefully, should be something that all users are now aware of.

Moral of the story: looking for offers and discounts online is certainly a practice to follow, but be careful to maintain a high level of attention to avoid falling into some scam or behavior that puts at risk your computer security.