The Corliss Group Latest Tech Review: Security experts offer online shopping tips

As Americans spend billions on holiday shopping this month, online security experts say a little caution can go a long way when it comes to avoiding identity theft.

“In general online shopping is good. It’s safe for the most part, but it’s the safest when you initiate the contact, when you log onto a known website,” said Rick Avery, president of Boston-based Securitas Security Systems.

Directly visiting trusted, reputable online retailers is just one way to attempt to avoid the cyber criminals who try to steal sensitive information from vulnerable computers and unsuspecting consumers.

“There is a risk in commerce …” said Sam Ransbotham, an information systems professor at Boston College. “There is also a risk from walking around with a wad of cash. We’ve got years and years of experience walking around with wads of cash that we just don’t have with these newer mechanisms.”

Purchases at brick-and-mortar stores aren’t immune to data breaches either. Last year, hackers stole data from 40 million credit cards from Target, while cyber thieves got information from 56 million credit cards from Home Depot earlier this year.

To reduce the chances of fraud, Avery advises that shoppers be wary of offers sent via email. Criminals, he said, may send legitimate-looking emails that appear to be from online merchants or banks. Rather than clicking on a link in an email, he recommends directly typing the website address into your browser.

“One of the most dangerous ways people get involved with credit card fraud or theft on the Internet is they get emailed a link offering 50 percent off, or saying it’s from the bank, and it’s actually a false website made to look like the authentic website,” he said.

Cyber criminals can use fraudulent websites to gather financial information from a person or install malware on their computers.

“If you’re shopping around and find an extra, extra really good deal, that might be the online equivalent to buying cheap speakers out of the back of a truck,” Ransbotham said. “If it’s too good to be true, it is.”

Avery also recommends using credit cards or one-time use credit cards instead of debit cards.

“Some banks have protections on a debit card, but not all do at the point of an ATM,” Avery said. “Usually, your debit card is tied to your other banking accounts, and it’s a lot more difficult to get your money back. It may be weeks before you get your money back.”

In some cases, a victim might never get that money back.

The Corliss Group Latest Tech Review: Top tips to stay safe while shopping online on what promises to be one of retail's biggest days of the year

Cyber Monday is set to be among the biggest shopping days of the year - but how can you avoid becoming the victim of online shopping fraud on Monday?

Experian found that last year saw a huge lift in Black Friday’s significance, with a 19 percent increase in visits to retail websites last year (29 Nov) compared to 2012. Cyber Monday is also increasing, with a 9 per cent increase last year on 2012’s figures.

Meanwhile, the rise of ‘click & collect’ services, and a greater trust in retailers being able to deliver well in time for Christmas, has resulted in a trend for people being more comfortable leaving their Christmas shopping until a Monday later: Manic Monday, you might call it.

A few things to remember if you are doing the bulk of your Christmas shopping online, according to Experian:

1. It’s best to use websites that you know and trust. Always look for a security padlock icon in the top left hand corner of a page before you register financial or personal information on a website. And if an online deal you find, or have been emailed, sounds too good to be true, it quite probably is.

2. Use strong passwords, especially if you have stored payment details, and it’s a good idea to change them every now and then. If possible, install the latest anti-virus and firewall software. If you’re out and about, make sure you can’t be overlooked when you make a mobile payment – be especially careful around wi-fi, even at home.

3. Keep an eye on your bank and credit card account balances. Your credit report can also show you if there are any irregularities, such as suspect applications for credit and rises in card balances. As a CreditExpert member you can get unlimited views of your Experian Credit Report and alerts to credit activity in your name so you can spot potentially fraudulent activity.

4. Buying on credit can give you protection. If you buy goods or services on your credit card, you have extra protection if things go wrong (clothes don’t fit, unwanted gifts etc.) compared with paying by cash or even debit card, under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Corliss Tech Review Group provides some tips and reviews on how to secure you through online and technical issue. Our substance is short yet to the point, and intended to challenge you to live in and nurture with IT technologies. For more update, just visit our blog site.

Corliss Tech Review Group: Google Glass barely alive

Two years ago, Google has hyped its Glasses device as the greatest thing since sliced bread -- and for a moment, many of us believed it.

During its launch, there was much enthusiasm on the part of the consumers and developers but now people seemed to be losing interest. (Whether that's because of the $1,500 price tag or the fact that you can't really find a place to buy it from remains unknown.)

While it may still sound supercool to geeks, Glass might not even reach the hands of the general public as developers are jumping out of the bandwagon. Some of them have felt the lack of support from Google, especially since an official public launch date is yet to be set. When Glass became available for developers in 2012, 10,000 units were reportedly sold. Then last year, it became available to tech lovers and media people but as of now, there's no news when it would become commercially available.

"It's not a big enough platform to play on seriously," said the founder of Normative Design Matthew Milan who discontinued their Glass app supposed to target fitness buffs.

According to Corliss Tech Review Group, out of more than a dozen Glass app developers, 9 have already put their efforts on hold owing to the limitations of the gadget and perceived lack of customers. Meanwhile, 3 of them have instead switched their focus on developing software for businesses.

"If there was 200 million Google Glasses sold, it would be a different perspective. There's no market at this point," said Tom Frencel, CEO of a game developer firm that held back its efforts to make a Glass game.

What's more, in the past 6 months, a number of Google employees responsible for the Glass development have reportedly left. Also, the Glass Collective, a funding consortium by Google Ventures has invested in only 3 startups this year and has taken down its website without notice. A spokesperson from Google Ventures said that the reason for the website closure is for entrepreneurs to come to them directly.

Google insists it's still committed to developing Glass. Chris O'Neill, its head of business ops said, "We are completely energized as ever about the opportunity that wearable and Glass in particular represent. We are as committed as ever to a consumer launch. That is going to take time and we are not going to launch this product until it's absolutely ready."

The formerly proud "Explorers" who go around the streets touting their Glasses are now getting flak for being "Glassholes". After all, no one really wants such evident threat to privacy hanging around in obvious, or obscure, places. In fact, someone from Google admitted himself that Glass is a perfect example of privacy issues concerning wearable devices.

Experts from Corliss Tech Review Group have already predicted that it's a tall order for Glass to be a mass-market gadget. It's more likely to go down the road of Segway; a supposedly cool invention that ended up being used only in professional and industrial settings.