Not only has it changed the way of doing business, but e-commerce has also caused a rapid change in shopping consumer habits. Today, buying what you need is just a click away, you can shop from the comfort of your home, that's the trend now. It is evident that online shopping provides a level of ease that traditional retail can't match, however, e-commerce is without a doubt more risky.
The e-commerce industry is a hotspot of cyber threats, from phishing attacks to false advertising and credit card skimming scams. As a conscious user, we must know how to protect ourselves. These five helpful tips can help you decide if you're on a fake site before you "add to cart" your favorite product.
The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of a webpage. Hackers make fake sites that look almost the same as the original, they use a domain name that's nearly identical to the site domain they are faking.
The first thing you should look for is if there are any errors or extra characters in the URL.
For instance, an attacker might make a fake site at flippkartt.com, to scam people into thinking they are using the original Flipkart site. But the real URL will look like "https://flipkart.com/." The URL of the fake site would be "http://flippkartt.com/." You might observe there is a difference in the protocol. The original site uses HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), while the fake uses HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).
The HTTPS prefix means your data is encrypted in transit, but takes more time and cost to set up, so the scammers don't try.
In a nutshell, most phishing scams work like this. It all comes down to cloning a real business and stealing sensitive info from users. It is always important to check the URL before you proceed.
A real business website would not have grammatical and spelling mistakes. Few scammers might hustle to proofread the content of their fake site, but not all do that. If you visit a site and notice it has mistakes and typos, chances are it's a scam.
Similarly, a real business won't publish low-quality images or poor designs. Scammers will do that because they don't have an image to maintain.
The scammer would scrape photos from the web using software, or just put random images that aren't related to the product. This is your sign to stay away from the fake website.
The iPhone 15 is currently costing around 72000 INR. Suppose you see the product online selling for 30000 INR, it is most likely a scam.
It is an easy bait as buyers like to crack deals, and in a rush, fall prey to the scam. Scammers know that huge discounts work as a glue trap for economically struggling buyers. So next time, make sure you see the right price before rushing to "add to cart" on an online shopping website.
A legit e-commerce site will always have an elaborate "About Us" page, the buyer can clearly understand the business's goals, mission, etc. with the help of given info. Sometimes, "About Us" also includes info regarding careers, team members, and ownership. Lastly, there's a detailed privacy policy and a contact form for interested customers and media professionals.
With time, the scams have upped their games as scammers now use AI to scale their attacks, however only a few bother to make a legit "About Us" page. If you notice that an online shopping site doesn't have these elements, and it's lacking transparency, you should avoid it. Don't spend your money without checking these pages.
You should always go through an online store's reviews before buying a product. A legit business will always have a review somewhere. You can start with Google reviews, just type the business name and go to the reviews section. Bingo, you can now check what others say about the store.
If you can't find even a single review, the store might not be fake, but it's best to avoid it. You can also check what others are saying on social media. Twitter and Reddit are some common sites where users share their experiences. It barely takes a minute, but can save you from a scam.
At a meeting with European Commission officials on Thursday, the e-commerce behemoth was informed that the transaction would probably be denied, according to sources familiar with the situation. The political leadership of the EU must still formally approve a final decision, which is required by February 14. Meanwhile, Amazon declined to comment on the issue.
On Friday, iRobot’s shares, based in Bedford, Massachusetts, fell as much as 31% to $16.30, expanding the deal spread to over $35, the greatest since the merger was disclosed more than a year ago.
Regulators believe that other vacuum manufacturers may find it more difficult to compete as a result of iRobot's partnership with Amazon, particularly if Amazon decides to give Roomba advantages over competitors on its online store.
There will probably be opposition to the deal in the US as well. People with an insight into the situation claim that the Federal Trade Commission has been preparing a lawsuit to try and stop the transaction. According to persons speaking about an ongoing investigation, the three FTC commissioners have yet to vote on a challenge or hold a final meeting with Amazon to discuss the possible case.
The investigation over Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot was initiated in July 2023 by the European Commission (EC), the EU’s competition watchdog.
The EC has until February 14 to make a decision. The commission's 27 most powerful political members must agree to reject the proposal before the EC can make a final decision.
While iRobot was all set to expand its business in the market of smart home appliances, it witnessed a 40% dip in its shares a few hours after the first reporting of the EU’s intentions in the Wall Street Journal.
Given that the company has been struggling with declining revenues, the acquisition by Amazon was initially viewed as a boon.
In regards to the situation, Matt Schruers, president of tech lobbying group Computer and Communications Industry Association comments that "If the objective is to have more competition in the home robotics sector, this makes no sense[…]Blocking this deal may well leave consumers with fewer options, and regulators cannot sweep that fact under the rug."
Generation Z is leading innovation and transformation in the fast-changing technological landscape. Gen Z is positioned to have an unparalleled impact on how work will be done in the future thanks to their distinct viewpoints on issues like artificial intelligence (AI), data security, and career disruption.
Gen Z is acutely aware of the ethical implications of AI. According to a recent survey, a significant majority expressed concerns about the ethical use of AI in the workplace. They believe that transparency and accountability are paramount in ensuring that AI systems are used responsibly. This generation calls for a balance between innovation and safeguarding individual rights.
AI in Career Disruption: Navigating Change
For Gen Z, the rapid integration of AI in various industries raises questions about job stability and long-term career prospects. While some view AI as a threat to job security, others see it as an opportunity for upskilling and specialization. Many are embracing a growth mindset, recognizing that adaptability and continuous learning are key to thriving in the age of AI.
Gen Z and the AI Startup Ecosystem
A noteworthy trend is the surge of Gen Z entrepreneurs venturing into the AI startup space. Their fresh perspectives and digital-native upbringing give them a unique edge in understanding the needs of the tech-savvy consumer. These startups drive innovation, push boundaries, and redefine industries, from healthcare to e-commerce.
Economic Environment and Gen Z's Resilience
Amidst economic challenges, Gen Z has demonstrated remarkable resilience. A recent study by Bank of America highlights that 73% of Gen Z individuals feel that the current economic climate has made it more challenging for them. However, this generation is not deterred; they are leveraging technology and entrepreneurial spirit to forge their own paths.
The McKinsey report underscores that Gen Z's relationship with technology is utilitarian and deeply integrated into their daily lives. They are accustomed to personalized experiences and expect the same from their work environments. This necessitates a shift in how companies approach talent acquisition, development, and retention.
Gen Z is a generation that is ready for transformation, as seen by their interest in AI, data security, and job disruption. Their viewpoints provide insightful information about how businesses and industries might change to meet the changing needs of the digital age. Gen Z will likely have a lasting impact on technology and AI as it continues to carve its path in the workplace.
As US tech giants threaten to sever their links with the UK, a significant fear has emerged among the technology sector in recent days. This upheaval is a result of the UK's proposed privacy bill, which has shocked the IT industry. The bill, which aims to strengthen user privacy and data protection rights, has unintentionally sparked a wave of uncertainty that has US IT companies considering leaving.
The UK's plans to enact strict privacy laws, which according to business executives, could obstruct the free movement of information across borders, are at the core of the issue. Users would be able to request that their personal data be removed from company databases thanks to the unprecedented power over their data that the new privacy regulation would give them. Although the objective is noble, major figures in the tech industry contend that such actions may limit their capacity to offer effective services and innovate on a worldwide scale.
The Royal Mail, the UK's national postal service, has reported losses surpassing £1 billion as a combination of factors, including strikes, a cyber attack, and a decrease in online shopping, has taken a toll on its post and parcels business. These significant losses have raised concerns about the future of the company and its ability to navigate the challenges it faces.
The holiday season has just arrived, it is finally giving the overworked, and over-stressed cybersecurity engineers a chance to consider a break.
But the holidays, unfortunately, would not deter the threat actors from lurking in the cyber world with their malicious intentions. We will be discussing some of the ways that could mute these malicious actors.
One of the methods that work like a magic at times like these is Automation. If one would want to keep the tip of the scales in their favor for these holidays, he must cede the tasks of cybersecurity to the trustworthy good-bots.
Here are some of the cybersecurity groundwork to set, in order to save holiday time for oneself.
Making Sure New Accounts Are on the Good List
The creation of new accounts is probably going to increase during the holiday season for anyone who is not in B2B. New sign-ups are not exactly unusual, whether it is because people want to purchase something from your website or because they simply have more time to spare around the holidays. Additionally, there will be those taking advantage of the New Year's bargains and sales, using up their departmental budget from the previous year while they still can, and registering the warranties on gifted products.
Unfortunately, this also indicates a perfect time for malicious actors to create illicit accounts, in order to evade detection in online traffic. In the medium to large enterprises that experience high volumes around this time, the sheer volume of new account creation prevents manually checking each one.
Thus, many of the malicious bots choose this time of the year to create a large number of illicit accounts. Although, these accounts would most likely not do any harm, at least for a while. But one would not want these accounts to simply exist, sit around and develop since they can further be utilized for a variety of malicious cyber-activities and attacks.
Thus, before setting oneself on holiday mode, one must make sure that the automated account validation services are operating properly. In order to keep the same in check, ensure to run some tests, ensure that the bots are being caught when making new accounts, and double checking the associated logging and reporting functions.
Keeping Inventory Numbers Accurate for Santa
It takes a lot of effort and hard work in order to establish an inventory that would aid in surviving the holiday rush. But, this may as well go down the drain if some mean-spirited competitors or threat actors mess with the systems.
But this is not uncommon for threat actors to execute such attacks on holidays as such. They make this happen by utilizing botnets that are capable of messing with the inventory via stockout, or denial-of-inventory attacks. These attacks include placing fraudulent orders and reserving them only to cancel once the holiday rush is over.
Thus, it is advised to keep a check on the automation and detect any illicit stockout activities. Below are a few more tips before you sign off for the holiday season.
Cybersecurity would be the last thing to have in the back of the minds of people, and even cybersecurity officials, who are hurrying out of the workplaces at the end of the year.
The solution is automation, for one can set up automated protections once and enjoy greater security permanently, it works as a fantastic stress reliever. Giving opportunity to people, to enjoy their holiday season in the best way.