The software that makes it possible, available from browser manufacturers, is expensive. And, as an online shopper, you have to use Netscape Navigator 2.0 or later or Internet Explorer 2.1 or later to take advantage of it. Even if you do shop at a Web site that uses SSL, there's little to prevent an unscrupulous employee from taking the credit-card information you've provided and using it for his own purchases. But the risk here is no different than doing mail-order shopping over the phone. SSL or not, it's very difficult to come by information about anybody who's had credit-card information stolen over the Internet.
Most hackers approach their pastime as an intellectual challenge.
They're after big prizes, such as the Pentagon, not small potatoes from individual consumers. Also, it's simply easier to steal credit-card information offline. They then trade the information among themselves in chat rooms or illicit Web sites. If, by a stroke of bad luck, you are a victim of credit-card theft, online or off, you have some protection. Some Web shopping sites promise to cover all losses.