Cyber Monday web safety tips for holiday shoppers and e-commerce shops
November 28, 2008
VANCOUVER, CANADA – November 28, 2008 – Cyber Monday, the Monday after American Thanksgiving, kicks off one of the busiest online shopping periods of the entire year. Every year at this time, consumers purchase hundreds of millions of dollars online, hoping to catch great deals.
But hackers and cyber criminals prowl the Internet, so it’s important for online shoppers to behave responsibly to avoid an unpleasant holiday-season surprise.
Web security experts at Pacific Coast Information Systems Ltd. (PCIS) have some helpful Tips for Shopping Safely Online:
* Don’t give the e-commerce site your private information. Businesses will often try to collect more information than they need.
* Beware of cyber scams. If a company asks for a social insurance number, you should refuse. They won't need that information to complete a transaction. Also, don’t respond to e-mails claiming to have a problem with your account and asking for financial information. You can always check if there was really a problem with the transaction by calling the business directly.
* Keep your computer up-to-date. Most computer users unfortunately aren’t even protected against the viruses and malicious code deployed a year ago, much less the latest threats. Update your operating system, spam filter, anti-virus software and web browser, and use a firewall.
PCIS also has a Tip for E-commerce Businesses:
* Build security into your e-commerce website BEFORE there’s a problem. If your website is attacked, a “this site may harm your computer” warning message on a search engine that tracks vulnerable websites will keep customers away from your site. Security breaches can result in loss of reputation and financial losses and can even lead to an organization ceasing operations.
About PCIS – www.pcis.com
Pacific Coast Information Systems (PCIS) Ltd. is a technology and consulting firm based in Vancouver. Founded in 1995, PCIS offers packaged infrastructure and network solutions that enable organizations to address security and compliance issues within today’s complex IT environment.
About Boonbox – www.boonbox.net
Boonbox, a division of PCIS, was created in 2007. Boonbox packaged service solutions are developed for customers for whom network security is a high priority. Boonbox enables companies to address security, compliance and data integrity issues.
Media Contact
Jonathon Narvey, Communications
Pacific Coast Information Systems Ltd./ Boonbox (a division of PCIS)
700-1112 Pender Street West
Vancouver, BC
V6E 2S1 Canada
Phone: +1 (604) 844-7558
jonathonnarvey@pcis.com
www.pcis.com / www.boonbox.net

