There was a time not so long ago that people bandied about words like “the World Wide Web” and “cyberspace” to describe a mysterious place that most people had heard of, but had never really gone. There was romanticized prose, there were horror stories, and there were some people who thought the entire setup was just a fad. Over time, a lot has changed, but some things haven’t.
Once solely the domain of computers, now, a lot of people only access the Web through their phones. For those who do use the Web, especially for business purposes, there are a lot of things they still have to watch out for. Generally speaking, there are actually more threats out there now than there ever were back when most people didn’t expect YouTube, Instagram, and their email providers to be absolutely safe. An overly developed level of confidence can actually be a problem in itself.
What goes there
There are all kinds of different threats that can present themselves in the online world. Some people post very seemingly realistic-looking websites that promise useful tools, or even updates to one’s operating system. In many cases, these will either collect your information or send a piece of malicious code toward your device, ready to make it work for an evil hidden master.
In other cases, people online want your money and will get it however they can. They will ask for help, they will pretend they have something of value you can buy at a discount, or they may even pull one of those classic lottery scams that have been around in some form for decades. In any case, there are tons of threats you have to deal with.
The business world
As tech-savvy as most people are nowadays, in many cases, the average person still doesn’t quite understand the sheer volume of threats that can appear. Some people think that if they are using a banking site, it’s automatically encrypted, even if they are using it with public WiFi at a coffee shop. Even if the WiFi has a password, if someone else knows that password, they can use the network against you.
When you do business in any way, you have to guard your information, as well as that of your customers. This is even more important if you’re in charge of helping people who aren’t tech-savvy to solve their online problems.
Protecting your accounts
While many people who call tech support aren’t tech-savvy, some people are. Or, they have a nefarious intent and want to interfere with your operation. This is why having a tech support merchant account can be a useful way to protect yourself. When someone tries to chargeback on their account or does something else that can come off as shady, you want to make sure your payment method is working for you first. Working with the existing risks and acknowledging them are both crucial steps.
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