Secure server: fact or fiction?

Credit Card Security and The Internet

Are you taking an unreasonable risk when you use your credit card to shop over the Internet? The answer is a resounding NO! The big fear people have is some hacker will intercept their credit card data and ruin their credit with an unauthorized shopping spree. Let me ask you, do you ever use your credit card over the phone, where the transaction is not encrypted and can be intercepted with a cordless or cellular phone?

Sure you do. And I'm willing to bet you entrust your unencrypted credit card information to the U.S. Postal Service when you do mail order. You probably shop at stores, hotels, and restaurants that don't secure that information. Not that you are a bad person for doing this--I do the very same things. I'm just pointing out that you won't be lowering your standards to shop via secured server.

Sure, this is a fairly new way to shop, and when something is new, we aren't always comfortable with it (unless it's a new Ferrari, right?).

So, what makes this server secure?

First of all, a secure ordering system uses a form script that encodes the credit card information right at your computer. The resulting gobbledygook then goes out over the Internet via a path nobody knows about ahead of time, and on to the server that will process your order.

A typical secure server program runs $5,000 or more, and is a booger to set up. Then there's a small fortune for the hardware and other items to make it all work. Companies that make that kind of investment employ administrative and other measures to ensure that they get their money's worth and don't endanger their reputation of having a secure ordering system. They have a vested interest in protecting your credit card information. Mindconnection is one of those companies!

Last year, consumers lost several million dollars because of cellular phone fraud. Last year, just like every year, consumers did not lose a single penny due to fraudulent use of a credit card over the Internet. If the proof is in the pudding, this stuff is delicious!

How can you test a server to know it is secure?

There are a couple of ways--and the merchant has no control over how you can tell.

One way is to check the online ordering form for a secure server symbol. In Microsoft's Explorer, it will be a tiny padlock at the bottom toward the right-hand corner of the IE window. Look closely at this lock.

If it's open, you don't have a secure server. If it's closed, you do. In Netscape's browsers, you get a little key on the bottom and toward the left-hand corner (It figures--the two big browser companies use exactly opposite symbols!). The key will appear solid and be on a blue background. If that's not what you have, don't put your credit card information on that page.

The other way: At Mindconnection, we use Secure Servers with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) transmission. This enables us to encrypt any data sent to our web servers, and in turn our servers will encrypt any data sent back to your web browser.

When placing an order, you will notice that on the page where you enter your personal information, the URL will change from http to https. This indicates that you are on a secured page. The SSL Digital ID is certified by Version. This means you can safely enter your entire credit card number when prompted by our online purchasing system and it cannot be read in transit.

The benefits of ordering online

Benefits For the Shopper

Shop anytime of day or night 24 hours day 7 days a week, virtual stores never close!
No contending with traffic, other shoppers, parking, limited store hours, lines.
Compare products easily, from a single site.
Customer assistance available only when you choose - via phone, e-mail or fax.
No lugging around heavy packages-they're shipped right to your home or office.
Reduced operating costs allow for competitive pricing.
Access the most up-to-date product information and pricing with the click of a mouse.
Eliminate fraudulent use of your credit card by sales personnel (the most common cause of credit card fraud with retail transactions).
Research & sample related products automatically, or if desired just go directly to the specific product of choice.
Perform high-powered shopping in your bunny slippers, if you so desire.

Purchasing by Minors

It is our policy not to sell any product to minors. Most sites do not sell to minors, because of provisions in contract law. If you are under the age of 18 and wish to buy, you should get a parent or legal guardian to make a purchase for you.

Computer Resource Quicklinks

Computer prints, photos, and posters.
Computer books.
Computer DVDs.
Do you need to get in shape after spending too much time at the computer? Click here.

Working the Windows Desktop

The whole desktop approach ignores the fact that a computer's hard drive(s) are the electronic version of a paper filing cabinet. It also ignores the fact that people store a huge amount of files in that system. And it ignores a few dozen other facts relevant to using a computer. It's just a bad approach.

The desktop assumes you don't care what files you actually work on. It opens apps, not files, and this is the pathway to problems. You can inadvertently be revising the wrong thing, if you can even find it in the first place.

What you should do instead is use Windows Explorer. Microsoft tends to hide this, but it should be your standard interface with your computer, unless you don't mind working blind.

You can always right mouse click the Start button to invoke it, but you should add Windows Explorer to your Quick Launch bar and several other menus in Windows.

The default settings for Windows Explorer defy logic. Change these so you can actually see what files you are looking at. Enable it to show you the file extensions (unclick the insane "Hide extensions" box that is, stupidly enough, checked by default though actually there is never any reason to ever check this box). Select the option to show details. Now, you will be able to see your file size, file date, and other useful information. If you right click around a bit, you can find quite a bit of functionality in Windows Explorer.

If you haven't been using this interface previously, make a point of using it now. If you always open files from within Windows Explorer, you will always be able to see all available files and select the right one.

Use Windows Explorer to set up your filing system as if it's a paper filing cabinet. Save all files either on the data drive (dual hard drive machine) or in a folder on a single hard drive machine. Do NOT save files to the default locations. These never make any sense. They are typically within your applications, which is a dumb place to save them. That's how you end up with corrupted data files and it also makes file backups difficult.

For single-drive users, an easy solution is to create a folder called 0files as your top-level data folder. The zero means it will show up at the top of your file list, making things easy for you. Below this folder, create you filing structure. Never store anything at the root of this folder. Think of it as the shell of a five-drawer filing cabinet and don't toss stuff in the bottom. Always put files in folders that are in drawers.

With a good filing structure in place, you will always be able to find your files by simply clicking right to them. So think this out as you go and follow a good taxonomy. It's a much more effective way to work than how the zombies at Microsoft envision people working.

Recovering hard drive space

Even with today's huge drives, people sometimes run out of hard drive space. The steps below can recover wasted space.

Do a search for *.tmp files. Delete all of them. Then defrag your drive.
Do a search for *.bak files. Delete all of them. Then defrag your drive.
If you have any *.bmp files, change the format to *.jpg. This will result in radically smaller files. You need an image tool for this; if you don't have one installed already, then skip this step.
Set the Properties for the drive to compress files. In Windows Explorer, right mouse click the drive name. Then select Properties. Then select Compress to Save Drive Space. This could take a while, so unless you want your machine tied up for a few hours do this process one folder at a time and then do it for the whole drive.
If this issue is for your programs drive, then remove any programs you aren't using. Go to Control Panel | Remove Programs.
On your data drive, zip files you aren't using.

There are other steps you can take, but if, at this point, you are still low on disk space you really need to add another hard drive or upgrade one that's in your system. Or, another very cool option, is to add a My Ditto system. See our Review of the Dane my Ditto network server.