The advancements in technology have improved the way people make purchases. For example, now you can buy anything you want online by simply clicking on the purchase button. So, we can finally say goodbye to waiting in long queues to purchase what we want. Many businesses have jumped on the online bandwagon and introduced a way for customers to buy their preferred products online. Wedding vendors couldn’t miss this opportunity, which made it possible for couples to search online for anything related to their weddings.
However, even if advancements in technology are attached to a long list of advantages, they have also brought significant downsides, represented by online threats. And the last thing you need when purchasing something for your wedding is to deal with cybercriminals’ malicious attempts to steal your money or personal data. This is why it is essential to follow some tips to ensure you stay away from these online dangers. By doing this, you can enjoy your wedding as you should and not have to deal with unforeseen situations.
Keep reading to find out more on how to stay safe while purchasing your wedding essentials.
Buy from reliable websites
The good news is that wedding businesses sell quite everything you need for your big day online to enjoy great flexibility, as all your purchases can arrive at your door in no time. This brings better accessibility and can improve your experience, as you won’t need to go from shop to shop in the search of the perfect product. However, when you look for essentials for your wedding, be it your dress or flower arrangement, it is imperative to ensure you buy from a reliable and trustworthy site. In this way, you avoid the chance to give your personal information to a company that is not taking all the measures to keep your data safe.
When businesses don’t protect their clients’ personal information, a hacker can get access to these details, which makes individuals experience data breaches. Data Breach Compensation Expert defines a data breach as a security incident that can lead to disclosure, destruction, loss, or alteration of personal information. Experiencing a data breach can feel like a nightmare, especially if it is happening quite at the same time as your wedding. So, it is important to know this and ensure you follow cautious methods to remain safe when navigating the internet or making online purchases.
How do you know if a website is legitimate?
To stay away from data breaches, as well as other online scams, such as fraudulent websites, phishing emails, man-in-the-middle attacks, or dishonest charities, you must ensure you follow some precautions. Luckily, there are some ways in which you can stay safe while you are making purchases from a website. Here are some precautionary measures to help you in this journey.
- Check the TLS certificate: The first step to ensuring a website’s security is to check its TLS/SSL certification. In this regard, look for websites with “https” rather than “http,” as this means the website has this certification (the s from “https” stands for secure).
- Look at the domain: Unfortunately, many cybercriminals try to steal information by mimicking reputable websites and fooling people into clicking on them. So, pay close attention to this and check it to ensure you are on the right site.
- Search for phone numbers and physical addresses: A reputable company should always list its phone numbers and physical addresses to offer more details to customers. This step improves customer trust, as people know there is someone to contact in case something goes wrong.
- Pay attention to the return policy: Secure websites should also have a return policy that is often placed next to their shipping policy.
- Inspect the privacy statement: Websites should also have a privacy statement that tells customers how they protect their personal information. So, it is important to look for one when deciding whether a site is reputable and read it before placing an order.
Don’t use public Wi-Fi when making a purchase
Yes, when you are planning a wedding, you might look for wedding essentials no matter where you are, whether you are walking on the streets or drinking a coffee. And even if it can be tempting to make a purchase exactly at that moment, it is better to refrain yourself and wait until you have a secure Wi-Fi connection. When you are purchasing something by accessing public Wi-Fi, there is an increased chance that hackers could get access to that address. So, why increase the chances of going through a data breach rather than purchasing wedding essentials only using your home Wi-Fi connection or your mobile data?
Don’t disclose your passwords
Another common mistake that users make is disclosing their passwords or using the same passcode for every website. If you are doing this, you can give hackers the best opportunity to steal your personal information, so pay more attention to this step. If you don’t have a different password for every website because you fear you will forget it, there are other options to consider that can help you in this journey. For example, you can try a password manager that, besides generating secure usernames and passwords, also offers the best environment to store your passwords safely.
Stay away from offers that sound too good to be true
Does a website ensure it can offer you the wedding of your dreams by only paying a small amount of money for everything that includes a perfect wedding? Well, this is especially a bait that hackers use to fool future married couples and make them lose their money. So, as a rule of thumb, it is a better idea to double-check offers that seem to be too good to be true to reduce the chance of falling prey to these scams. If you are not 100% sure that an offer is genuine, it is a better idea to stay away and protect yourself against these malicious attempts.
A wedding is an important event, so it will be a pity not to enjoy it because of a data breach or other online scams. We hope the guide from above will help you remove all the negative scenarios of the equation and offer you all the information you need to stay safe while making online purchases for your wedding.
Written by: Bogdan
