by David Ferszt, IT Consultant
As online purchasing is becoming more and more common, many people are being forced to pay by plastic and hope their information is safe.
There are few things you should know to help protect yourself. First, you should only make your purchases from a computer that you know does not have a virus or keylogger. Also I would recommend avoiding doing any purchasing on a non-secure network such as Starbucks WiFi. Be familiar with or do some research on any website you are about to give your credit information to as well. Places like Amazon and Staples are fairly safe, but when in doubt, search for reviews about the website on Google.
When sending any type of confidential information across the internet, it is also very wise to make sure that the website begins with https vs http. The “S” stands for secure (the HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol…there will be a test later!). The S denotes that there is some level of encryption happening between the user and the server. You will notice that most login pages are https; including banks, email servers, and even Facebook. When making purchases, aside from ensuring the website is HTTPS, you should also pay exclusively with credit cards.
There are also many differences in using credit vs. debit cards. Consumer liability on credit card cards are often less than that of their debit card counterparts. In addition to liability, in the event of fraudulent charges, you do not have to wait for your bank to reimburse you if you paid by credit card. Most important is to check your statements frequently for accuracy.
Let me preface this article by stating, anyone can ride or drive on a track day. Track days are not only for the Pro’s, but anyone who is looking to go fast or improve their ability to control a vehicle. For me, not much in life beats a track day on my 2007 Yamaha R6.
One of the great things about the track is it provides a safe environment to improve your skills and push the limits of yourself or your vehicle. Most of the time, they will run sessions of slow, intermediate and fast paced riders / drivers. There is ample run off around the track, so it is unlikely you would ever hit a wall or other immovable object if you were to lose control. There are corner workers with a view of the entire track monitoring for any crashes or mechanical failures. And an ambulance is always on site ready to respond if there are any injuries. I myself have crashed at HPR and walked away without a scratch. There are a few 
My first day on a track, I was rather nervous and definitely slow. I considered myself pretty fast on the street, but it was clear when I got to the track that I had a lot of work to do. It took a little while to get used to being passed at high rates of speed. I ran off the track a little bit at one point when I was too late on the brakes. As the day went on I started gaining some confidence and even started passing a significant number of other riders. By the end, I was absolutely exhausted and totally hooked.
