AS many Jamaicans skip the traditional brick-and-mortar stores and conduct shopping and other business online, particularly doing the holiday season, the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is providing tips and advice to help people operate safely in cyberspace.

Information Technology Manager at the CAC, Christopher Martin, says people should ensure that the device they are using is secure.

“Whether it’s a laptop, mobile device, desktop, tablet, you want to make sure that the operating system (OS), the applications, are up-to-date and are secure. From time to time the manufacturer will post updates, so you’ll want to ensure that the information is current,” he said.

He further advised that consumers should ensure that the web browser being used to shop is also up-to-date.

“So you want to make certain that the website you will be using or accessing is secure. You want to look for that protocol…that is the HTTPS. In times past, it was the HTTP, but with the challenges that are happening with that …. a more secure protocol has been placed on it. So please look for the HTTPS, which gives you an added security,” Martin said.

Consumers are also being instructed to look for the padlock icon next to the site name.

Martin further urged consumers to exercise caution when making purchases online using free Wi-Fi as they could be vulnerable to hackers who are also on the same service.

“Wi-Fi in a number of homes [or] residential areas are open. You may see persons at the corner with their devices and they’re laughing and chatting, and possibly they’re on your system at home. So you want to speak to experts to ensure that your Wi-Fi device is secure,” he said.

“Oftentimes, if somebody knows how to access your system, they can go on your Wi-Fi and lock you out. While you may use a public Wi-Fi for information, be very careful how you do it for transactional purposes. If you must use it, use what is called a virtual private network (VPN). So you would want to install it on your device and when you are doing your transaction over a public Wi-Fi, you execute that,” he recommended.

He also stressed the importance of website legitimacy, noting that people should only purchase items from websites they are familiar with or are established.

“There are new ones that are popping up all over the place and people are not familiar with them. There is no contact information for you to call or street address or registration of that website,” he pointed out, noting that people should steer clear of these sites.

Martin further urged caution when buying products through social media pages, noting that if something appears “too good to be true, it probably is”.

“If needs be, pass it around with some friends and family, ask questions. There’s nothing wrong in asking questions. It means that you have serious concerns and you want to ensure that you are getting value for your money,” he said.

He also advised that you sign out of your accounts when they you are done conducting transactions online.