computer security question

[Guest guest]

Hi, guys;

 

I hope this isn't too off topic, but I have a problem, and I'm wondering if

there are any computer wizzes out there: I just ordered some Chanukah presents

online w/a vegan bakery. I used their secure website, of course. They had a

question about my order, so they e-mailed me, and the e-mail included all the

info I had put into their secure site, including my entire credit card #, and my

name address & phone #, and my relative's name address and phone #. When I

called them to complain, they said, " But your info comes to us on e-mail. " They

seemed not to understand the whole idea of encryption. My quesiton is: How

worried should I be about this? Should I close my credit card account?

 

-Thanks,

Amy

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Amy,

I operate a website (see link below) selling pro-veg t-shirts and other

stuff.

 

As you rightly pointed out, a customer's personal details, and particularly

credit card information should never be sent via email, -it's not secure. I

only did that once, (before I had online ordering) and only at a customer's

request and with consent. In that case, the customer forwarded half her

credit card number in one email, and the other half and expiry date in the

other, to reduce the risk of interception. Having said that, the chances of

someone intercepting that one email and stealing your details are very

remote, and I doubt your credit card will be misused. To dispell any doubts,

however, it might pay to contact your credit card provider (I have found

Mastercard customer service, for example, very helpful) and check with them.

 

The business you dealt with should definitely only use secure, encrypted

ordering systems (ordering pages with the 'https' at the front of the web

address and padlock symbol at the bottom right), and should only confirm

orders via email with the goods and price listed. Otherwise, they shouldn't

use online ordering with credit cards.

 

I use PayPal for my online ordering now, as they are a large US company

(part of Ebay) and handle all online orders securely and efficiently, and

all I need to know is who ordered what and where to send it to. People can

always post or fax their ordering details to me, but it's important to have

a secure online ordering facility that consumers can trust. Perhaps you

could suggest to this bakery that they use PayPal, as it is free to set up

and there is only a small percentage fee for the merchant when they sell an

item.

 

Regards,

Tom Perry

Vegecentric

www.vegecentric.com.au

Email: tom

-

" Amy Fried, Ph.D. " <jdkrheum

 

Saturday, December 11, 2004 3:03 AM

computer security question

 

 

>

> Hi, guys;

>

> I hope this isn't too off topic, but I have a problem, and I'm wondering

if there are any computer wizzes out there: I just ordered some Chanukah

presents online w/a vegan bakery. I used their secure website, of course.

They had a question about my order, so they e-mailed me, and the e-mail

included all the info I had put into their secure site, including my entire

credit card #, and my name address & phone #, and my relative's name address

and phone #. When I called them to complain, they said, " But your info comes

to us on e-mail. " They seemed not to understand the whole idea of

encryption. My quesiton is: How worried should I be about this? Should I

close my credit card account?

>

> -Thanks,

> Amy

>

>