Keep records of your transactions

Online sales for holiday shopping have risen more than 2 percent (versus the same period last year) as deep discounts from online retailers attracted the budget conscious shoppers. Consumer spending continues to be driven by value offers, and consumers are responding to price bargains and promotions.

Year-on-year growth in online sales has been flat, but then everyone is trying to make their shopping dollar stretch and looking for better bargains. This is a holiday season of much economic uncertainty and difficulty, and it pays to be cost-conscious.

But the executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance reminds online shoppers that bargains are great deals only if you save money. If an online transaction at 5 percent discount results in stolen identity, lost cash, or long phone calls to the credit card issuer, then you lose out on the deal.

Safety Tips:

* Inspect your cyber defenses. Before sallying into cyberspace for online shopping, ensure that your antivirus, firewall, and anti-spyware are properly installed and updated. Review all settings on software that links you to the Internet. Make certain the settings can fully alert you about threats while still allowing you to surf freely.

* Keep updated. Make sure all Internet-related programs are current. Install updates the moment these become available; this helps protect you from attacks on known software vulnerabilities. If your operating system has an automatic update feature, enable it.

* Check out the online sellers. If you have never bought from an online seller, conduct some research beforehand. A potential attacker may create legitimate-looking websites to trick you into providing information that can be used against you. Do not supply information unless you have ascertained a seller’s legitimacy.

* Safeguard personal information. When purchasing items online keep a critical eye on the type of information being required for the transaction and ensure the vendor is asking only for necessary data. Read the privacy policy to understand how the information will be used and kept before you supply personal and financial information.

* Utilize safe payment methods. Your safest option will generally be credit cards because you can claim a credit for undelivered items or wrong deliveries. Credit cards also set a ceiling on the amount of your liability in case of identity theft. It is best not to send cash by mail or a money-wiring service: if things go wrong, there is no recourse.

* Ensure the site is secure. Before providing financial and personal information, look for indications of a secure site (usually a closed padlock on the lower right-hand corner of your computer screen). The URL address should shift from http to https (sometimes shttp) when you are asked for sensitive information.

* Keep records. Create printed copies of online transactions (the item/product, price, online receipt, terms of purchase, and email communications with the seller. Examine credit card statements immediately to check for unauthorized charges, and report discrepancies without delay.

* Turn off the computer when you’re done. Computers that remain on and connected to the Internet are ripe targets for attackers. To remain protected, shut off the computer.

For more tips on online security, visit www.uscert.gov and www.onguardonline.gov.