Secure Your Online Activity During the Holidays

The holiday season is synonymous with joy, gift-giving and festive cheer. With the rise of online shopping, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the convenience of finding the perfect gifts from the comfort of your home has become another integral part of the holiday experience.

However, this convenience comes with its own set of cybersecurity challenges. Cyber criminals view the holidays as the perfect chance to launch online scams and steam your data, login credentials, credit card information and other sensitive information.

Explore these essential tips on how to secure your online shopping during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays so you can shop with confidence and ease.

Read: IT Best Practices for the Holiday Season

Shop Only from Reputable Websites

Stick to well-known, secure and reputable online retailers when making your holiday purchases. Cyber criminals can create malicious websites that look legit but have names similar to the real deal, like goggle.com instead of google.com. These sites can have malware to steal credit card information or sensitive data. To identify a scam website, check for poor spelling and grammar, poor quality images, fake-sounding reviews or missing pages like “About Us” and “Contact Us.”

Before entering any personal or financial information into a website, ensure it’s secure; hover over the URL and see if it begins with https://, not http://, and look for the padlock icon in the address bar, which indicates a secure, encrypted connection.

Most importantly, think before you click – don’t open attachments or click on links from suspicious, unsolicited emails, ads or pop-ups to prevent potential phishing scams. If possible, always try typing in the known URL instead of clicking on the link.

Avoid Offers that Seem Too Good to be True

Be wary if you come across a social media post, holiday ad or unsolicited email for a free product that usually costs hundreds of dollars. You know the saying: “If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Don’t be fooled by limited-time offers, great discounts or free stuff, especially if you “won” something in a giveaway you never signed up for. And remember, if you have to give money or sensitive information in exchange for a prize or gift, it’s a scam.

If you do see a great deal, especially during Black Friday or Cyber Monday when people are on the hunt, go directly to the brand’s website to see if it’s real.

Use Strong Passwords

Strengthen your online security by using long, complex passwords for each shopping account; don’t reuse the same password across multiple accounts. If you struggle to remember all your passwords, use a password manager to generate and store passwords securely. This helps minimize the risk of unauthorized access to your shopping accounts, protecting your personal and financial information.

Passwords should be at least 19 characters with a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Consider using a passphrase, which is multiple words strung together, instead of a single word with numbers and symbols.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Add an extra layer of security to your online accounts by enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), especially on accounts with financial information. This adds an extra layer of security against cyber criminals trying to access your accounts; even if the hacker has your login information, they can’t access the account.

Update Devices and Software

Ensure all your devices and applications are updated with the latest security patches. Cyber criminals exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software, so regular updates can help protect your devices from potential security threats as you shop online. If you struggle to manually update your software, set automatic updates.

Regularly Monitor Your Financial Statements

If you’re like most, you might check your banking statements every couple of days or maybe even weeks. However, you should be more proactive during the holidays; cyber criminals hope their actions will go undetected amidst all the increased holiday activity. Keep a close eye on your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized or suspicious transactions. You can also set text alerts so you can be instantly notified about unusual activity. Report any discrepancies to your financial institution and local law enforcement immediately to help identify and address potential fraud promptly.

Secure Your Wi-Fi Connection

When making online purchases, use a secure, trusted Wi-Fi connection. Never use public Wi-Fi, as they are less secure and more susceptible to cyber threats since no authentication is needed to establish a connection. You can also utilize a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your connection and further protect your sensitive information.

Use Credit Cards

When shopping or making charitable donations, use credit cards instead of cash, debit cards or wire transfers. Debit cards don’t offer the same level of protection against fraudulent activity as credit cards. If you accidentally make a fraudulent purchase, you can dispute the charge and have a higher chance of being reimbursed by the credit card company; most major credit card companies, like Mastercard, American Express, Visa and Discover, have a zero liability policy. Your debit card is also directly linked to your banking account, so hackers can steal all of your money.

Beware of Tracking Information Scams

Online shoppers should also be wary of tracking information scams that ask for personal information or a fee before a package can be delivered. Ignore these messages and sign up for tracking notifications, like UPS My Choice or FedEx Delivery Manager. These notifications will let you know when your package should arrive, and legitimate delivery companies will never ask for personal information or a fee to deliver a package.

Thriveon Can Protect You

If you need assistance maintaining a strong online presence as you shop during the holiday season, Thriveon is here to help businesses protect their sensitive data and information. Our managed IT and cybersecurity services keep companies safe and well-protected against cyber criminals.

Schedule a meeting with us to discover how we can protect you this holiday season and beyond.