A website is a collection of webpages, images, audio files, video files and other digital entities that are hosted either on a single server or many, and can be accessed using internet. They are the various destinations in the cyber space where you could find what you need. But
Cyber space is a
dark place where you have to be very careful. Whether you are creating a website or visiting one, you should always
be careful about few issues.
If you are creating a website and are looking to earn from it then you should be very careful about what payment processors you are going to use. Also
beware of the visitors registering at your site. It is always advisable to keep track of where you are getting the traffic from.
Make use of the advertising programs available online to monetize your website. When accepting credit card payments you should always use a secure gateway. You don’t want to end up in court for no fault of yours if someone uses a fraudulent credit card or a stolen one.
One has to be much more careful than a website owner when visiting a website. If you are new to a website make sure you look for the authenticity of the claims made on a site.
Before making any payments confirm the URL and the payment processor used. If you are using a credit card to make payments then you should make sure they are using a secure gateway. If something on the website looks too good to be true then more often than not it is not true. If the website has a security certification then it is authentic. One of the most popular agency that provides certification is
Verisign.
Some useful links that provide more information on security and frauds in cyber space are:
VeriSign - Security (SSL Certificate), Communications, and Information Services
VeriSign Sucks
Cyber security standards - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Source: iGuides.org Webmasters Talk