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As Internet users for over a dozen years, it is our
opinion that security is not currently a significant issue
when submitting credit card orders via the Internet. Though
we agree that there is substantial credit card fraud on the
Internet, we believe it is almost exclusively in the form of
distribution of stolen credit card numbers.
Though it is possible for people to extract your credit
card information from the Internet, we feel that you are
more likely to have a clerk record your information, or have
your phone tapped, than to have your Internet order
intercepted. Actual theft of card numbers (not distribution)
via the Internet is well below theft of credit card numbers
via other techniques -- like by the clerk or operator to
which you casually provide your card number.
What we advocate is appropriate risk evaluation. In our
opinion, the Internet is no more risky than other accepted
means of placing an order, despite its security issues.
Since the Internet is relatively new, it is "cool" to talk
about security issues while loosing perspective on general
worldly risks. The world is full of gotchas, and we try and
keep this in perspective rather than become part of the
latest craze.
One may decrease the already low odds of having their
credit card extracted from Internet traffic by:
- Breaking it up into multiple lines each with random
tags like:
- first numbers:9999
- second group:9999
- next sequence:9999
- ending digits:9999
- good until:9/9/99
- Sending it as a "pict". A snapshot of your computer
screen is saved as Picture# on your startup disk
with Cmd-Shift-3.
- Encypting it with a password using something like:
As a result, we do not currently employ a secure
encryption form for submitting orders via the Internet.
We do recognize that not everyone agrees with this
opinion. We suggest that users that are concerned may use the "email" forms which have links in the
bullet list at the top of the
new and
upgrade
online order form pages for submitting orders using
alternate electronic methods.
Once we have your credit card number, your order is
placed in a secure database on a computer that is not
accessible from the Internet. Access to the database is
limited to four Jump Development Group employees.
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