Majority of Americans Have Abandoned an Online Purchase Due to Security Concerns, Poll Finds

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Majority of Americans Have Abandoned an Online Purchase Due to Security Concerns, Poll Finds

National Cyber Security Alliance Urges Online Shoppers to "Stop. Think. Connect."

Recommends Internet Safety Tips for Holiday Season

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- As the holiday shopping season and Cyber Monday approaches, a growing majority of Americans – 64 percent – report they have not made an online purchase from a specific website because of security concerns, according to a national poll released today by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA).

"Stop. Think. Connect." is a good habit for shopping online this holiday season. To help consumers adopt this practice, NCSA offers four tips for consumers to better remain safe and secure while buying gifts online:

Keep a Clean Machine. Check to make sure that all software, especially security, Web browsers and operating systems, are up to date and set to update automatically.

Protect Your Personal Information. When opening new accounts, use long and strong passwords. Only provide the minimal amount of information needed to complete a transaction. When providing personal information for any purchase or other reason, ensure that you know who is asking for the information, and why the need it.

Connect with Care: When shopping, check to be sure a website is security enabled. Look for web addresses with "https://" or "shttp://," which means the site takes extra measures to help secure your information during financial transactions. Be wary of holiday shopping efforts to lure you. Cyber crooks will adjust to the holiday season, trying to get you to click through to deals that may appear to good to be true. They may also try to trick you by sending emails that something has gone wrong with an online purchase.

Be Web Wise: Research sellers before a first time purchase from a merchant (or auction seller) new to you. Search to see how others have rated them, and check their reviews. Do these things even if you are a return customer, as reputations can change.