How to Stay Safe Online

Comprehensive tech news and reviews from GetConnected. This video focuses on how to stay safe online.

Host: Have you ever ordered something online and never had it arrived in the mail? Well, we’re going to talk to Simone Lis, she’s the VP of operations for the Better Business Bureau and she is going to show us how you can stay safe while online. Follow me, we’l go find Simone. Hi Simone. Simone Lis: Hi. Host: So tell us a little bit more about the BBB. Simone Lis: Well, the Better Business Bureau is a long standing organization. We’ve been around since about 1912. Host: I had a rumor that you guys started by Coca Cola. Simone Lis: That’s right, in about 1906, Coca Cola was brought in to trial for some advertising claims they made. And at that time, a lawyer from them said, “Well, you know, who cares? Who cares about advertising? Everyone makes things that are not true.” Host: Right. Simone Lis: Years later. A manager from Coca Cola said, We’ll that’s wrong. And he started what was called Vigilance Committee that were looking out for misleading advertising. Host: Oh wow, that’s interesting. So tell us about what the Better Business Bureau does today. Obviously, there’s offices in most major cities around North America. Simone Lis: That’s true. What we tend to do is we provide a lot of information. We’re a resource for consumers and businesses to check with us first before dealing with someone they’ve never heard up before. Host: Now, security is obviously something that we’re hearing so much about these days. I don’t imagine that it’s necessarily new topic for you guys, but with the internet and everything else going, what type of a resource or what things—are you helping both small businesses and even consumers do? Simone Lis: Well, a couple of things. I mean if you are a consumer and you’re shopping online, you have no idea who you are dealing with. Host: Right. Simone Lis: So what we do is we provide an independent and an objective source for consumers to check with first. And on our information, they can find out a little bit about the business. If you are looking for to find out what kind of complaints the company has, we have that. We have how long that company has been in operation. The principals if there has been any government action, all of that will be in our company record. Host: And what about things like identity theft, I know that this a big topic, is there something that the Better Business Bureau is doing to sort of help advice people of that as well? Simone Lis: We’re also—definitely in the community trying to educate consumers about identity theft and what they can do to protect themselves. For example, they were telling people, if you are shopping online, make sure that you are using a little limit credit card. Host: Oh, great idea. Simone Lis: Make sure you’re looking for that site to be secured, look for an independent seal program to make sure that that company has been approved by someone. We ourselves have a program that businesses were credited by us and they can apply for and make sure that their site meets our qualifications. Host: Now, a lot of times we tell people when they are surfing the web, to make sure that they’re going to like secure websites and things like that, are there some useful hands that you guys have as well? Simone Lis: Definitely. We would tell people to make sure that the site has that bulk on it, that this is a secured site. You can check to make sure that that site is secured by also checking the properties for that site isn’t encrypted and who is encrypting it for you. Host: So basically, before someone decided to make a decision to either purchase online or do something online, whether they’re going to do financial transaction or giving their personal information, there is a resource, there is a step that they can take before they do that. They can go to perhaps your website? Simone Lis: Definitely, they can come to www.bbb.org. That is the site for all Better Business Bureau across Canada and United States and turn that information for the company and see what information they have on file. Host: So that actually covers both the US and Canada then? Simone Lis: Uh-hmm. Host: Oh, that’s a great resource. Simone Lis: Seamless shopping. Host: And because you can shop, that’s not just seeing your neighborhood anymore, it’s across the country or around the world. Simone Lis: Exactly, yeah. Host: Well, there you go. If you want to be secure, think about using the Better Business Bureaus and other resources to stay safer online. Thank you. Simone Lis: Thank you.