Photo Credit: Thinkstock

We all know not to give out our social security number or other personal information to just anyone who calls. But it’s okay online because, well, it’s just the computer, right? Wrong!

Shopping online with a credit card is no more or less risky than using it in a store. But you still have to be careful, because you never know who — or what — is following your every move. Furthermore, it’s impossible to control if someone hacks into and retrieves your personal information from some corporate database. All this doesn’t mean you have to avoid the Internet. But the smart online shopper should make every effort to be secure.

A few precautions can minimize the risks associated with using your credit/debit card online. You don’t have to be a computer whiz to be safe.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Start at Home

The first line of defense is the network that your computer or mobile device uses to connect to the Internet. Your home network should always be secure, and can be in a couple quick steps:

• Always require a password to log on to your wireless or wired home network. This makes it difficult for unauthorized users to get in.
• Turn on any firewall security functions available on the computer or mobile device. On networks with a router, enable the built-in firewall function.

Be Safe in Public

Public computers are widely available at schools and local libraries. While convenient for checking the weather or reading the news, they’re not terribly safe from a privacy standpoint. It’s best not to buy things using these computers, or even enter in any private information. Your passwords and credit card information can be — and sometimes are — retrieved. But if you must use a public computer, here are a few safety tips to minimize the risk:

• Disable the web browser and website feature that saves passwords.
• Use the web browser’s privacy feature to erase your activity as you go.
• Don’t let anyone look over your shoulder, and close all windows and programs when you are done using them.
• Don’t walk away from the public computer before you are completely finished using it.
• Ask the attendant to clear the computer’s cache, temp files and cookies after your session.