Essential Tips to Protect Your Valuable Information During Peak Online Holiday Shopping Season

Introduction

From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, Americans love to shop for their favorite products online. In fact, one-survey highlights that more than 50% of people prefer to buy holiday gifts through their smart phones during important events.

Although eCommerce has made online shopping convenient, fun, and easy, it has also opened doors for cybercriminals to target and exploit online shoppers. Of course, the rise in cybersecurity issues does not mean you should avoid going on your online shopping spree. However, as online shopping becomes mainstream, shoppers need to implement the best cybersecurity practices during the holiday season.

Remember, convenience does not translate into security and attackers are always on the move to target online shoppers through fraudulent sites and email messages. Attackers can now also target outdated computers and intercept insecure online transactions.

Keeping that in mind, let’s look at the best tips and practices that will help you protect your online information during the peak holiday shopping season.

Be Cautious about Holiday Season Scams

Shoppers have to be direct to buy the best products online. But it also means you have to be cautious of potential holiday season scams. From fake tracking emails to donation scams to fake e-cards, there is no end to these attacks. So, use trusted and verified URLs rather than mindlessly clicking on unknown links. In fact, make a habit to think before clicking on unverified links and email attachments.

Shop on Secure and Reliable eCommerce Websites

In the eCommerce landscape, often you may come across offers that are too good and might not be for real. So, make sure to stay away from when there is a significant discount rate from unknown sites or fake companies. Instead, use official websites of online retailers to make trusted purchase decisions.

Use Proper Mode of Payment

When it comes to online payments, use your credit card rather than a debit card. Also, regularly check your bank statements for fraudulent activates. Think of your bank statement as an indicator to make sure whether or not your identity and personal information is stolen.

In case of an inconsistency, report it to the bank without delay.  And before you make a payment with your credit card, make sure the browser address bar uses “HTTPS:// “rather than “HTTP”.

Use Strong Passwords Online

A safe password is not out of the grasp of attackers and up for exploitation. In fact, use passwords that are completely unpredictable with multi-factor authentication. According to Edward Snowden, your passwords should be long and come together as phrases.

So, just like devices, make sure the password is complex enough to throw off cybercriminals. Also, don’t add or save passwords to your device accounts. You can set an automatic timeout when your device is not in use after a few minutes of inactivity.

Use Secure Wi-Fi

It may not sound like a big deal but buying online items from an unsafe Wi-Fi of a coffee shop is a bad idea. On the surface, you might think the basic encryption will be more than enough to make the purchase transaction secure. Unfortunately, cyber attackers and data thieves can circumvent old Wi-Fi encryptions. Ideally, you should make purchases at home and set wireless encryption to the WPA2 network.

You should also add a robust passphrase with at least 12 characters and change the network’s name. In addition, set an administrative access control limit for your home Wi-Fi network to make sure only you and members of your family can use it.

Since routers don’t update automatically, it is also a good practice to make periodic log-ins to make relevant software updates. It may sound an exaggeration, but you have to assume that all public Wi-Fi hotspots and computers are vulnerable.

If you use a public computer, make sure to limit the number of log-ins and log out after each use. Another good tip is to enable the “ask” option before joining other wireless networks so that you don’t connect to fraudulent hot spots.

Be Careful about Text Messages and Alerts

It is hard to fathom life without dedicated bank apps that make it easier to perform different transactions in mere seconds. However, most banking apps send automated alerts and notifications. But attackers can also mimic and send the banking messages to the customers.

However, banks don’t ask their customers to provide valuable account or personal information via emails or text alerts. So, keep an eye on unusual activity on text messages and alerts. You should also review your credit card report each year for any inconsistencies.

Use Antivirus Software

One of the best ways to keep your computer or laptop safe is to use an antivirus solution. Although the use of an antivirus solution on macOS is not necessary, it is integral if you have Windows OS. In any case, make sure the item you want to purchase will be directed to prompt security protocol to avoid malware.

Install and Use Apps from Reputable Sources

Today, there is an endless list of photo editing and fitness apps. It makes sense to try out the most famous apps from reputable companies. But when you start to install and use apps that are from unknown sources, it increases the risk of installing and using malicious software.

You’d be surprised how many apps are designed as data theft apps and steal sensitive information from users all the time. If you strictly use apps from renowned platforms, make sure to update apps to avoid security flaws of previous versions. A good practice is to take a look at the privacy policies of any app you use to make sure it is safe to use for shopping purposes.

Stay Away from Pop-Ups

Today, even high-end sites have started to have pop-ups. On the surface, they might seem harmless but a direct response to pop-ups often leads to data leaks. So, don’t click or respond to pop-ups. In fact, VPN and anti-virus pop-up ads are all over the place these days. It is imperative for online shoppers to avoid scammers and hackers who might be using pop-ups to extract information.

Sum Up

Your objective should be to navigate the dangers of fake websites and malicious links during holiday season shopping. The last thing you want to do is auto-save credit card digits and passwords. The best solution is to follow up-to-date cybersecurity practices to prevent cybercriminals from getting access to your financial and personal information.

Besides, there is no need to taint the spirit of the holiday because of cybersecurity risks. Instead, adapt and embrace modern cybersecurity tips to shop in a secure digital environment and prevent data theft. Usually, you just need to follow a few safety precautions to deter cybercriminals from any attack and enjoy the best holiday shopping season has to offer.