Thursday, November 27, 1997

The safety of using credit cards on the Internet

By Scott McPherson / Knight-Ridder Newspapers

Q. I want to buy things off the Web, but I have heard that the Internet is unsafe and you can't use credit cards on it safely. What do you think about buying things over the Internet? --B. Oliver, San Diego

A. Some of the greatest recent innovations to the Internet deal with secure transactions. You should be no more concerned about using your credit card over the Internet than you would about buying over the telephone or having an unscrupulous clerk fish your carbons from the trash. You wouldn't think twice about picking up the telephone and buying from QVC, right? What about using a cordless or cellular phone to buy items from direct marketers? Any yahoo with a police scanner can pick up those transmissions, as House Speaker Newt Gingrich can readily attest.

The fact is that the Internet is a secure environment for transacting business, and you shouldn't be unduly concerned. But here are some do's and don'ts about engaging in e-commerce:

1. Make sure your Web browser supports SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer. Both Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer support SSL. In addition, MSIE supports Windows NT Challenge/Response, which is great security for NT Server-based Web sites accessed by MSIE-equipped systems.

2. Make sure the system is running in secure mode when preparing to type in a credit card number, or user ID and password. The better Web commerce sites allow you to select Secure Mode for your transactions. You can tell if your mode is secure by looking at the bottom left corner of the browser for an unbroken key (Netscape) or the bottom right corner for a padlock (MSIE). When you see these icons, the transmission is secure. Type away.

3. Use great discretion and common sense when accessing certain Web sites. It never ceases to amaze me that people would willingly give their credit card numbers to pornographic sites, for example. Many, if not most, of these sites are overseas. Couple that with the prevasiveness of organized crime in the porn industry, and you have a recipe for stealing credit card numbers.

4. There are alternatives to giving your card number over the Internet. The Christmas Shoppe (www.christmasshoppe.com), a retailer of collectibles such as Department 56, Beanie Babies and Seraphim angels, requires a form be printed out from the Internet, filled out and signed, and then returned by fax or snail mail. This ensures both the confidentiality of the transaction and the confirmation of the order.

5. Most firms understand customer reluctance to pay over the Net via credit card, so alternative payment arrangements are readily available. And the Digital Cash movement is still viable. This is where you deposit some money with an electronic currency company and use digital currency to pay for things. While not widely used, it will certainly have widespread future use.

I buy over the Internet virtually (forgive the pun) every day. I have found most sites to be safe, secure and deeply committed to customer satisfaction. I am sure you will, too.

(Write Scott McPherson at The Help Screen, c/o the Tallahassee Democrat, P.O. Box 990, Tallahassee, Fla., 32302. Internet users can reach him at SCOTTMCP@supernet.net or via America Online at SCOTTMCPHE@aol.com.)