Protect Yourself Online. Written by Ron Pumphrey This article tries to cover the basics of online security, including a description of the methods online stores use to protect themselves and their customers. Online consumers are growing frustrated with the lack of security provided by banks and online retailers. Many feel passwords are no longer adequate to secure their online transactions. One perception of online shopping using credit cards is that it is unsafe because sending your credit card number out over the Internet is inherently insecure. "Anyone could be listening in on your transaction." Whereas it is true that data thefts are real and will continue to be used. These methods are well-known and modern data encryption technology is specifically designed to counteract the possibility of eavesdropping. Online privacy issues are the central point of online customer´s confidence. You should be very careful whenever you provide personal data online. All online financial transactions and passing of sensitive information should be done securely. Many online web sites have what is known as a secure page to safely pass personal and sensitive information. A secured web page will have the web address that begins with https: ("s" for secure) and a locked padlock icon at the bottom of the window confirms the site´s increased security. You can rest your mouse pointer on the lock to see the level of encryption. The information sent to a security-enhanced site is protected using encryption, a method of scrambling data that helps to prevent unauthorized users from reading or tampering with it. When your computer and the web site are about to exchange encrypted data, a connection called a handshake is established between the two. The web site's server transmits a "key" to your machine. Then your computer encrypts a unique key for that session. For the rest of the transaction, your personal information is encrypted and authenticated using keys resulting from this exchange. So if someone captures your information, it will appear as unreadable data without the secret key.Once your data has been transmitted, it is decoded back into its original form, using a similar key. A certificate is issued to the web site owner by a trusted third party called a certificate authority. This provides the web site´s identity, the certificate supplies a cryptographic "key" that is used to encode and decode your communication with the security-enhanced site. Once the browser approves the certificate, the secure server encrypts any information before it travels across the Internet. There are web sites that only use "mailto" or basic scripting forms without being secured. Do not believe web sites that say you that your financial or other personally sensitive information does not need to be encrypted. The "mailto" and basic scripting forms send your information using the standard email function. Email is not private. Actually, email is like a postcard and it is possible for someone to access email intended for someone else. Do not discuss any sensitive or send information like credit card numbers through email or a non-secure web page. Additionally, check the site´s privacy policy before you provide any personal information to a website and do not confuse 128-bit encryption with a 64-bit processor which refers to the number of bits that a computer can process at a time. ShadowDezign This article originally appeared in the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce Newsletter and is republished here with the authors consent. Thanks Ron!! Back to the Tribune Counted 3468 *