Tips-to-ensure-a-safe-and-secure-online-shopping-experience

Tips to ensure a safe and secure online shopping experience

Shopping online can be such an easy, and convenient solution and save us so much time, but it’s important to be aware of potential security risks. Here are some key tips to ensure a safe and secure online shopping experience:

Shop with trusted retailers:

  • Stick to established and reputable brands or stores you’re familiar with.
  • If you’re exploring a new store, do some research to check for online reviews and ensure they have a legitimate presence.

Look for website security:

  • Verify the website address starts with “https” and has a lock icon in the address bar. This indicates the site encrypts your information for protection.
  • Avoid entering any personal or financial details on websites lacking these security features.

Secure your payments:

  • Credit cards generally offer better protection compared to debit cards for online purchases.
  • Consider using online payment services like PayPal or Google Pay for an extra layer of security.
  • Avoid unconventional payment methods like direct wire transfers or sending cash through mail.

Be cautious with deals:

  • If a deal seems incredibly good, it probably is. Be wary of unrealistic discounts that could be a sign of a scam website.

Avoid public Wi-Fi:

  • Public Wi-Fi networks are not secure and can be vulnerable to hackers. If possible, avoid making online purchases while connected to public Wi-Fi.

Practice good password hygiene:

  • Use strong, unique passwords for your online accounts.
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security whenever available.

Stay vigilant:

  • Don’t click on suspicious links or download attachments from unknown senders, especially in emails claiming to be from retailers.
  • Be mindful of what information you share online. Only provide details essential for the transaction.

Use a VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, acts like a secure tunnel for your internet traffic. It encrypts your data, making it scrambled and unreadable to anyone trying to intercept it. This is especially helpful when shopping online for a few reasons:

Encryption Shield: When you use a VPN, your credit card information, passwords, and browsing activity are all encrypted. This makes it much harder for hackers to steal your data, even if they manage to infiltrate the network you’re on (like public Wi-Fi).

Masked Location: A VPN hides your actual IP address, which can reveal your location. With a VPN, websites will only see the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to, offering an extra layer of anonymity.

Potential Price Benefits: Some websites might show different prices based on your location. A VPN can allow you to connect to a server in a different region and potentially see different prices. However, keep in mind that this practice might violate the website’s terms of service.

Important to Note: While VPNs offer security benefits, they’re not a foolproof solution. It’s still important to follow safe shopping practices like using trusted websites and secure payment methods.

Happy Human-Rights-Day South Africa

Happy Human Rights Day South Africa

“Human rights are not a privilege granted by the few, they are a liberty entitled to all, and human rights, by definition, include the rights of all humans, those in the dawn of life, the dusk of life, or the shadows of life.” – Kay Granger

Happy Human Rights Day South Africa!

Happy Human-Rights-Day South Africa

Happy Human Rights Day 2023

Today, we celebrate and honour the sacrifices made by those who fought for our human rights, and continue to fight for equality and justice. Let’s remember that we all have the power to make a difference and create positive change in our communities.

On this day, we remember the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, which led to the establishment of the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Let’s use this day as a reminder to stand up against all forms of discrimination and prejudice.

Let’s also take a moment to appreciate the progress we have made towards a more equal and just society, but recognize that there is still much work to be done. We must continue to fight for the rights of all South Africans, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or any other characteristic.

Today, let us all commit to upholding human rights and promoting equality, justice and peace. Let’s use our voices to speak up against injustice and discrimination, and to build a brighter future for all.

ZULU Translation: 

Ngiyolokothi eneminyaka kaMthwakazi yezokuthuthuka kwemiphakathi yethu! 🇿🇦 Namhlanje, sithokozela kanye sibonga abaphethe ababebethulela kwemisebenzi yabo yokuthula kanye nokwenza ngcono ngokushesha imiphakathi yethu.

Nalapho, sicela siyakumbuka uSharpeville Massacre waka-1960, owawutholakala ngokwenzakalisa isizwe sakithi sengathi ngokuphambene noMhlangano wezwe olusungulwe ngenxa yokushushumbisana kwezemfundo zomuntu ngokwezokwelapha. Sicela sikhumbule futhi sisebenzisane ukuphikisana ngemikhuhlumelelo nokuhlakanipha.

Sicela sithathe ngesikhathi sokubonga ngamathuba sithathwe ukuphumelela ekuthuthukiseni kwenkinga yokubanzi kanye nokulingana. Kuyacaca ukuthi kunomsebenzi ojwayelekile kuba kudingeka sibonelelwe ukukhuthaza inkululeko nokuzwa ngokushesha amalungelo eNingizimu Afrika, ngaphandle kokubuka ngezinhlobo zezibopho, isithunzi, imfuyo noma isikhathi.

Namhlanje, sithi sonke siyakhanyisa ukuthi sizokhuthaza imiphakathi yethu ngokuthola ngcono amalungelo nokwenza ukuthula, ukulingana kanye nokukhuthaza ukuphila ngokuthula. Sicela sisebenzisane ukuthula ngesikhathi sokuphikisana ngemikhuhlumelelo nokuhlakanipha, futhi sisebenzisane ukuhlukanisa isimo sezwe sakithi ngokuthi sikhulume ngemibono ethile.

Siyakholwa ukuthi thina sonke sithembele inkululeko nokusebenzisana ukuthi singakwenza le ndlela kuba sizokusiza sonke sithathe umthwalo wokuphumelela kwemiphakathi yethu.

 

Happy Easter from Immortal Art Design

Happy Easter from The Immortals

Happy Easter, Everyone. 😊Wishing you a special day with your loved ones ❤️
From Saysha, Victoria and Candice, aka the Immortals @immortalartdesign 😊

Happy Easter from Immortal Art Design

Fake News and misinformation

Fake News & Misinformation

Fake News and misinformation

Fake news and misinformation have become a global issue that we can help fight together.

It’s the age of technology, and we are all active online. The internet has been a place of discovery, connecting with friends, customers and building our businesses, an area of education, and staying informed about news and events worldwide. COVID-19 was an unexpected curveball that thrust into our lives. The restrictions on physical contact and connecting face to face rendered many of us lost, isolated and finding ourselves reaching out and trying to connect even more online. After all, we are humans and crave contact with each other. Most of us didn’t realise that there has been an influx of fake news, misinformation and that the tools we use to contact, share and connect online are becoming weapons, targeting us whilst tracking our data.

Social media makes us happy, angry, it has many emotional triggers, and as humans, we like to share. Often sharing is triggered by emotion before we have had the time to think about what we are sharing. False news hijacks our emotional response and uses this reaction to gain milage on sharing and reaching more people.

We come across these adverts and videos that seem like real news broadcasts, but we don’t know that they are “deep faked” or “shallow faked”. These are editing terms for distorting video with rendering software that manipulates facial features and clones voices and mimics expressions of real people. The AI (Artificial Intelligence) is so advanced in some cases that you can’t tell the difference between the real person and the “deep faked” video generated by the AI. The AI gets better and better at learning and mimicking. A “shallow fake” is identified in some cases by glitches or slight imperfections in facial expressions or imperfect voice cloning. These are the more advanced fake news and misinformation techniques. Other more basic methods are cutting information and photoshopping images to look like they are from legit sources. Some information is from old stories that get repurposed to gain a response in a current event. For example, an image of a crowded beach on Christmas last year (before COVID-19 regulations and laws) gets used this year to get a reaction out of people and paint an image of people not wearing masks and breaking protocols currently. This misinformation can cause all sorts of panic and emotional responses, and the news spreads faster and faster with each share.

What to do when faced with possible fake news or misinformation?

When you find yourself feeling emotional about a particular piece of information that has made its way to you, take a minute to pause and cool down and think before you share. Ask yourself a few questions.
Who made it?
What is the source?
Where did it come from?
Why are you sharing this?
When was it published?

A small share can have significant consequences.

Take Care Before You Share

Useful resources: https://www.takecarebeforeyoushare.org/

Useful websites for Fact-Checking possible fake news

Here are a few websites you may find useful for checking false news, suspicious articles and information before you consider them as valid information. Think before you share.

Google Fact Checker

Fake News – Factcheck.org 

How to report fake news and misinformation online: 

To report a fake news post on Facebook click here 

To report and Reduce the Spread of False Information on Instagram click here

To report inappropriate content on Youtube click here

To report a Tweet, List, or Direct Message on Twitter click here

To report a contact or group on WhatsApp click here

Recognize and Report Spam, Inappropriate, and Abusive Content on LinkedIn

Report inappropriate content on TikTok

Entrepreneurs Workshop

Saysha Till – Guest Speaker at the Margaret Hirsch Entrepreneurs Workshop

Entrepreneurs Workshop

It was a pleasure to assist businesses today at Margaret Hirsch’s Entrepreneurs Workshop Session on Social Media with LinkedIn expert, Este Pretorius a Client Attraction and Growth Specialist.

 

Saysha Till – Speaking at Umhlanga Women Achievers July Meeting

Click Here To Book

BOOK HERE

UWA Heroine

Umhlanga Women Achievers Heroine

UWA HeroineUmhlanga Women Achievers would like to give a shout out to Saysha Till, who has been a ray of sunshine during this lockdown period, tirelessly giving of her time whether it is assisting everyone with social media, computer or UIF issues and the list goes on.

Thank you for being a great UWA ambassador!

What to do during lockdown

Tips of what you can do for your business whilst on lockdown

It’s tough for many business owners and employees through this lockdown period; we all feel a bit disconnected and lost in uncertainty with COVID-19. There are a few things that we can do during lockdown to reconnect with each other.

Gazetted instructions requiring owners of websites operating within the .zaDNA Domain Name

Fake News Covid-19

Find all the latest news and updates on COVID-19

Don’t get caught up in Fake News; you can follow the South African government website https://www.gov.za/Coronavirus for all the latest updates and reports on the Coronavirus (COVID-19).