A Savvy Tip: Browser Security - Why can't I print coupons?

For those of us who surf the web on a regular basis whether for printable coupons, hot deals or freebie finds, upgrading your browser software, like Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer or Google Chrome is a must!  Obviously new security features are enhanced with each upgrade, but did you know that within the last few weeks "researchers have found dozens of websites have been secretly harvesting lists of places that their users previously visited online, everything from news articles to bank sites!"  While passwords aren't at risk,  some internet companies are obsessed with tracking users' behavior so they can profile you easily.  - Yahoo.com

According to Yahoo Finance, "The technique the University of California, San Diego researchers investigated is called "history sniffing" and is a result of the way browsers interact with websites and record where they've been.

Although security experts have known for nearly a decade that such snooping is possible, the latest findings offer some of the first public evidence of sites exploiting the problem. Current versions of the Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers still allow this, as do older versions of Chrome and Safari, the researchers said.

The researchers studied far more sites -- a total of the world's 50,000 most popular sites -- and said many more behaved suspiciously, but couldn't be proven to use history sniffing. Nearly 500 of the sites studied had characteristics that suggested they could infer browsers' histories, and more than 60 transferred browser histories to the network. But the researchers said they could only prove that 46 had done actual "history hijacking."

The latest versions of Google Inc.'s Chrome and Apple Inc.'s Safari have automatic protections for this kind of snooping, researchers said. Mozilla Corp. said the next version of Firefox will have the same feature, adding that a workaround exists for some older versions as well.

Microsoft Corp. noted that Internet Explorer users can enable a private browsing mode that prevents the browser from logging the user's history, which prevents this kind of spying. But private browsing also strips away important benefits of the browser knowing its own history, such as displaying Google links you've visited in different colors than those you haven't."

WOW!!!  For safety's sake make sure you select "yes" when you're asked whether or not to automatically upgrade your browser software!

The Downside:  

There is a downside to upgrading your browser though.  Almost every time you upgrade your browser, printable coupon sites like Coupons.com, Smartsource.com and Redplum.com won't be ready for the upgraded security features.  That means you'll be temporarily unable to print coupons and get a "Coupon Printer Not Installed" message, even though you already have it installed or the "please enable Java" message, when it's already enabled.  Just wait a week or two for the coupon sites to catch up or try using a different browser for a while.  Right now I have to print brick coupons in Google Chrome, Redplum in Safari and still cannot print Coupons.com coupons.  Oh well, they'll catch up too! It's worth the temporary printing inconvenience to make sure I'm as safe as possible online!

Savvy How To - Cyber Monday Online Shopping Safety

Phew, for me, the hysteria of Black Friday has passed in the night like a herd of buffalo on a midnight stampede!  Black Friday sales are truly the rush of adrenaline some of us need to kick off our holiday shopping. You may have snagged a few hot deals, and quite possibly you missed out on a few amazing deals that were targeted by thousands of other holiday shoppers.  If you’re disappointed in your Black Friday gift haul never fear, more spectacular discount shopping days are here. 

Cyber Monday – Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is the newer, hipper Black Friday, one might say. With some of the hottest prices of the year, online retailers typically offer similar savings to Black Friday sales, but you can shop from the comfort and warmth of your own home!  Online shopping does require some additional safety preparations though.

-Make sure your computer has the most recent updates installed for anti-virus and anti-spyware software and spamware!

- Shop ONLY on trustworthy, well-known websites. Some deals from unfamiliar websites may just be to good to be true.

- Confirm your online purchase is secure. Always look in the lower-right corner for the “lock” symbol before paying. “If there are any doubts about a site, BBB recommends right-clicking anywhere on the page and selecting “Properties.” This will reveal the page’s real URL (website address) to ensure it matches the URL in the browser’s address bar. If they don’t match, you may have been directed to a fake, potentially dangerous website.”

 http://www.bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-holiday

- Pay with Paypal. Paypal allows you to shop without sharing your financial information with every site you visit.  Setting up an account is free and easy.  Just transfer money into a  PayPal account via moneypak, debit or credit and use the money to pay for all your purchases.  Retailers never see your bank or credit card information when you use PayPal -www.paypal.com

- Keep Records. Always save a copy of purchase confirmations and emails, just to be sure.  If you have trouble with a delivery, all contact information should be provided in your confirmation.

Week Before Christmas – Most retailers began offering discounted holiday items around Halloween, but if you’re a procrastinator you may be in luck!   Historically, the week before Christmas has some of the hottest prices of the year for last minute Christmas gifts!  Sure, stores will be jam packed with throngs of last minute deals seekers and lines will undoubtedly be long, but if you’ve got the patience you can score some great deals!  Watch for retailers to slash prices on anything from TVs to sweaters just days before Santa is scheduled to arrive.

Catch the Christmas Spirit and a few great deals in the process as you shop for holiday gifts this year.  But, most of all, don’t get caught going over pre-set personal budget limits.  There’s nothing worse than starting the year in debt!