Chris Goh's "On the Net"

Online transactions

As part of my mortgage I have a Visa card to offset my loan. When I can, I try to put every purchase on the credit card. I was told from young never to be in debt, which is a logical policy, and was encouraged to pay everything in cash because if you don't have it, don't buy it.

However since my University days I've constantly been in debt in one form or another - from a student loan to HECS, mortgage and a personal loan.

Now, if you don't have a credit card, online purchases are almost impossible or cumbersome, bypassing the convenience of shopping online in the first place. So I think it's no longer a matter of not getting into debt, but debt management.

Unfortunately, if there is anything easier to obtain than a credit card, it's the card number. But it's always been much easier to obtain it physically than online. Oddly, I think the difference between online security compared with conventional credit transactions is a bit like a plane crash.

In daily usage, where other people handle your card, there's a greater risk of something going wrong, from the number being stolen to losing the card because you forget to pick it up. Throwing away the receipt before you get your statement also leaves you vulnerable.

But most people view online transactions as the plane crash, when it comes to a security breach - in some ways quite rightly since the potential is for hundreds, if not thousands of people to all crash at once

There is a high likelihood that when a company detects an intrusion, it will (if they have any duty of care) inform all their customers of the potential breach. However there is always something that you can do. If you are serious about it have a diary with stapled receipts for each day and then run through your transaction account. The only problem with that is that online transaction you usually have to print out the confirmation and you're never quite sure when it's processed. The best way is to take precautionary measures and shop wisely online using your card.

Avoid as much as possible E-mail order forms. If you're technically inclined, they're usually easy to spot. Look for a site that uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) - a client-side encryption developed by the crew of Netscape many years ago.

You can generally tell when you see a little padlock at the bottom of your browser status bar. If you've left your web browser on default, there is a good chance it will inform you when you are going to a secure area. Usually merchants who invest in SSL also have secure services in the backend because they have already expended some cost on security, which means they are at least conscious of the issue.

You can also be sure that if you get a 'transaction approved' from a site, they have a real-time banking solution. That's a good sign, because from my experience working with banks on payment gateways, they demand that the interface conforms with a strong level of security to protect their business too (it's the bank's backdoor - so to speak).

HotNews

Microsoft has settled out of court with XBox Technologies for an undisclosed amount. XBox took Microsoft to court late last year for trademark infringement when Microsoft announced the launch of its new Games Console to take on the Playstation II.

DoCoMo, a large Japanese mobile phone company with 24 million subscribers, has been the target of a virus attacking its E-mail service. An E-mail went out to subscribers with a code that, when opened, dialled Japan's emergency number 110 (ie. our 000) a number of times. Later variants rang random numbers from the PC owners address book. Just how serious the issue was came to light when a student was arrested by police and accused of making fake calls to emergency services.

Hotsites

www.slashdot.com

If you're a real tech head, Slash Dot is much in the same league as Wired, and will keep you amused for hours with loads of content and reviews, including up to date news.

www.allmusic.com

Following on from last weeks MP3 review, All Music has been quite popular for those who want to know all the latest about music. Probably one of it's most enduring features is it's historical approach to styles and the key artists that contributed that style of music allowing you to expand the lists of artists that you know of.

www.picturetrail.com

Photography has become a recent passion for me, and hopefully next year I'll be able to put together an online photo essay. Picture trail is a very innovative idea that allows people to put together their online albums for others to enjoy.

www.wine-searcher.com

If there's one thing I feel I've missed out on by being a non-drinker is a good wine. While this site is a little a little confusing on first entry, it has a large database of wines available around the world.

Search for any well-known name or vineyard and viola! a Penfolds '62 Grange Hermitage could be yours for $680.