Securing E-commerce
We expose our online consumer habits as businesses shift to online selling
A few days ago, the President announced that Metro Manila and nearby areas would be placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to give breathing space for our hospitals and frontliners.
The announcement came at a time when many are already anticipating a possible return to even a semblance of normalcy into our lives — we started shopping at malls again, dining in at restaurants, buying groceries at markets freely and unscheduled, and even going to the gym and doing other outdoor activities.
We must realize that we are all living two lives now: our physical and digital lives.
The MECQ is a forceful reminder that this storm is not yet over. For many, it’s back to the present reality of working, learning, buying, or basically living online. For example, we use apps like Grab to order transport services or food delivery, Facebook marketplace from various products — ranging from home items to houses and lots — and other multiple online and digital platforms for our consumer needs.
We expose our online consumer habits as businesses shift to online selling. Sellers now utilize Lazada or Shopee, realizing that these digital solutions can reach as much, if not more, potential buyers as compared to maintaining a physical shop. Moreover, online selling presents more attractive options due to their ability to hold “sales,” which is prohibited in physical stores under existing IATF guidelines.
Five years ago, and prior to the pandemic, experts said that 7.5 percent of global commerce was online and predicted to grow to 15 percent by 2020
Report). Obviously, with the onset of COVID-19, this projection may have already doubled.
Amid all these changes, may I remind everyone that risks from abuse of personal data could also double when shopping online.
The most harmful online privacy risks involve deliberate attempts of persons or groups of people to steal your data for gain. Personal information is a valuable good not only for purposes such as targeted advertisements done by social media platforms, but also in the “deep web” where your data may be exchanged and sold for various criminal activities.
Cybercriminals are becoming more creative and are always a step ahead. Some can “inject codes” and “malicious scripts” into legitimate websites to allow for credit card “skimming” when a customer inputs credit information. They also resort to new methods to figure out the weak passwords created by customers through various social engineering and cracking methods.
In his last State of the Nation Address, President Duterte made clear reference to protecting Filipinos in today’s digital world: “We must patrol the country’s cyber space and enforce online consumer and data protection and privacy laws. We must run after online scammers and those undermining the people’s trust in online transactions.”
The MECQ is a forceful reminder that this storm is not yet over.
The digitization of our lives will heighten these risks. We must realize that we are all living two lives now: our physical and digital lives. Government has its duty to protect. But we can all lead safer digital lives by practicing personal data hygiene and being ethical when engaging digitally.
Stay abreast of the recent trends in cybersecurity and observe the best practices of keeping our personal data safe in cyberspace. An excellent way to start would be to read the bulletins, guidelines, and issuance on the NPC website: www.privacy.gov.ph.