[EXAMINER]Can you explain the phenomenon behind Cyber Monday ?
[ROEMER]Cyber Monday is the day when the best on-line deals are offered by merchants.  Cyber Monday is the Monday immediately following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and Black Friday shopping day in the US.  Whether retailers are simply trying to “ice the cake” by adding to the weekend profits or target customers that didn’t fight the Black Friday crowds, Cyber Monday has become a major shopping event.

[EXAMINER] What do you see as the single greatest threat to cyber shoppers ?
[ROEMER]The single greatest threat to cyber shoppers is getting scammed.  While it can be difficult to notice a scam when doing business face-to-face, cyber scams can be almost impossible to detect.  Imagine a personal email from a friend – someone in your Facebook circle – who sends you the deal of a lifetime on an item you’ve been lusting over.  The address looks familiar, it doesn’t have any recognizable danger, and goes to a site that has the same look-and-feel of the real site.  It’s even secure – the browser has the security lock displayed!  Putting in credit card and shipping info goes without a hitch, and the only indication of a problem is a call the next day from the credit card company alerting you to the fact that your account was compromised and your credit card has to be reissued.

But it only gets worse from there. The additional information you entered opened the door to identity theft.  Remember the “password recovery” question that asked what your Mother’s maiden name was?  Did you use the same password you used for your Facebook account?  Do you use that same password everwhere else?  You just got “0wned”.

It only takes a minute to reissue a credit card.  It can take years (and significant amounts of money) to rebuild your reputation, your credit, and win back your identity.

[EXAMINER] Is the upcoming Cyber Monday this year more secure or less secure than those past ?
[ROEMER]I’d personally say that we’re less secure this year.  It’s not that the attacks, the threat landscape, or that security in general has changed all that much.  However, motivation has changed significantly this year, with the economy providing greater incentive for the bad guys to create some truly innovative scams and the good guys to believe them.  Everyone will be looking for deals this year.

[EXAMINER] How do you personally secure YOUR online shopping world ?
[ROEMER]I make sure that my computer is up-to-date – the OS, programs, and utilities.  I then clear the browser cache, reset all cookies (including Flash cookies, and those require a special trick to remove).  I make sure that the security suite is configured and active.

I make sure I only visit sites that I know well, and am alert for anything that doesn’t look right (although, this is really tough in reality).  I don’t click on links sent directly to me, but go to the actual site and navigate to find the special sale item.

I also use one primary card for on-line shopping and register for a one-time-use card number for sites that may be questionable (this is VERY rare for me, but has worked well in the past for ordering software and media from overseas).

I check my statements online whenever there’s a question. I make sure that returns and warranties are as valid (or better) than they would have been while walking into a store.

[EXAMINER]How can shoppers tell whether a site is legitimate or a “phishing” site?
[ROEMER]Don’t click on links sent to you in email or via social networking, and you won’t have to worry about this!  Go directly to your intended site. Another good way to check a link is to put it in a search via Bing or Google.  Both will warn you if they detect a known phishing site. Also, beware of banner ads from sites that are not on your personally “trusted” list of known-good sites.

[EXAMINER]    If you had to recommend 6 secure shopping sites, what might they be ?
[ROEMER]This is a loaded question!  I can’t personally vouch for the security of very many sites on the Internet, but have a few personal favorites.  Suggestions are: