Jan 17, 2012 6:59am
After Zappos Hack, Some Online Security Tips
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(Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images)
Zappos, the wildly popular online shoe retailer, is famous for its outstanding service, free shipping and unconventional business model.
But the shoe superstore may have just found its Achilles’ heel.
More than 24 million accounts were hacked, the company announced Sunday, and customers’ personal information such as user names, passwords, email addresses and partial credit card numbers may have been accessed in the attack.
Here are some tips to optimize your online security:
- Never use the same password for different sites. “Typically people use one password to get into a number of systems,” said Brad Garrett, ABC News consultant and former FBI special agent. “And so as a result if you have someone’s password, you could easily compromise other accounts they have at other locations.”
- Never use your name or even part of your name in a password.
- Change all your passwords often. “Cyber shopping is cyber warfare,” said Garrett. “You have to create and maintain defenses against the bad guys. You can’t set [passwords] up once and forget them.”
- Learn more and get more tips at “20/20′s” cyber security page.
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I made one purchase from Zappo’s more than 3 years ago and had completely forgotten ever shopping there until I got the email saying “Hi, yep we were casually irresponsible with your information.” Why, after 3 years does any company need someone’s personal information? Answer, they don’t.One thing that could improve this immensely is if companies like Zappos would delete the information after a reasonable time, such as after their return period has expired. But honestly I think they’re just too lazy and apathetic with customer information. Zappo’s… another company permanently off the shopping list.
Posted by: glacia | January 17, 2012, 5:41 pm 5:41 pm
Identity theft is highly lucrative for criminals and is a low risk crime. Retailers really need to harden the security for their data bases, and I do like the idea of notifying customers there info will be deleted after a year or whatever time is reasonable. Do I hate entering name/address/CC #? Yes, but I’d rather do it multiple times for the same retailer instead of having my info compromised.
Posted by: Mark | January 17, 2012, 9:34 pm 9:34 pm
Zappos gives you the option not to store your cc info.
Posted by: Laura | January 19, 2012, 11:14 pm 11:14 pm