11 Holiday Cybersecurity Tips To Keep You Safe Online

The Holiday Season Is a Prime Time for Scams!

During the holiday season, criminals will try to scam us with too-good-to-be true deals or even fake charities. Their tactics typically include malicious links that install malware on our devices or fraudulent websites that can steal our money or even our identities.

With inspiration from our friends at CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), here are some excellent tips to stay safer online this Holiday Season.

1. Master the basics to protect your devices & accounts against scammers

Take these steps before making any online purchases to help protect your devices, personal and financial information, and online accounts.

• Use a Modern Password for every online account — each one should be long, complex and unique.

• Use a Password Manager to create, remember and type the passwords for your online accounts.

• Secure your Password Manager with a Diceware Passphrase.

• Use Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) on every online account that offers it.

Recognize Phishing Attempts

Almost everyone receives exciting emails from retailers about special holiday offers, and with the hustle and bustle of holiday season, your busy schedule can cause you to want to move fast and check off items on your to-do list.

However, phishing messages are even more frequent during the holiday shopping season! And scammers are getting better and better at their schemes.

Your best bet to avoid getting fooled is to purchase items directly from the websites of trusted vendors and stay alert by knowing what to look for. Be cautious of fake ads on social media platforms.

We’ve got you covered with a few tips below to avoid the phish hook.

2. Beware of phishing messages

Most of us receive emails or texts from retailers about online holiday shopping sales. Cyber criminals will often send phishing messages — designed to look like they’re from retailers — that have malicious links or that ask you for personal or financial information.

3. Don't click links or download attachments

Don’t click links or download attachments in messages you aren’t expecting. If you’re unsure if a message is legitimate, don’t call any number in the message. Use a search engine to look up the company’s website and contact information.

4. Be wary of requests for information

Scammers may attempt to trick you into giving them information through text or email. Legitimate businesses won’t ask for sensitive info in this way. Common scams include asking you to verify your delivery address or confirm your purchase or account.

5. Delete scams

If you receive a suspicious email that you think may be a phishing scam, delete the message. Don’t reply or click on any attachment or link, including any “unsubscribe” link. Just delete.

Purchase with Confidence

If you’re going to make that purchase, know what sensitive details you’re sharing.

6. Check for encryption

Your info should be encrypted as it’s transmitted to the merchant's server. Look in your browser’s location bar to make sure the website address begins with “https” instead of just “http”. Also, ensure the padlock icon is locked.

7. Choose reputable vendors

While millions of people scour the internet during Black Friday and Cyber Monday looking for the best deals, be aware that if you find a deal which seems too good to be true, it may be a scam.

If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Cybercriminals often set up fake websites offering extreme discounts to trick shoppers into providing payment information. These sites can look legitimate but are designed to steal your financial details.

8. Use credit cards instead of debit cards

This is a quick, easy win! Laws limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, but you may not have the same level of protection for your debit cards. Getting a fraudulent charge reversed on a debit card typically takes much longer than reversing a bad charge on a credit card.

9. Check your accounts frequently

You’ll likely make more purchases over the holiday season, so check your credit card and bank accounts frequently. Notify the financial institution immediately if you see any unauthorized charges.

10. Set up Transaction Alerts on your bank account and credit cards

You can receive alerts by email, text message and push notification when there's a charge for online holiday shopping, a refund or other transaction on your account, when a balance transfer or payment has posted, to get balance and available credit limit amounts, when a payment is due, or when a payment has posted. Setting up transaction alerts on your bank accounts and credit cards allows you to monitor activity in real-time. This way, you can quickly detect suspicious transactions and act immediately to prevent further damage.

11. Keep devices stored safely when traveling

Consider taking only what you need. Do you really need your cellphone, tablet, and your laptop? Certainly take what you want along with you, but remember that any devices you take will need looking after.

It’s a bad idea to leave your devices unattended or in the care of a stranger. If you need to leave them in your hotel room, consider locking them in a safe or in your luggage. If you are catching up on remote work at a coffee shop or the airport and need to leave your seat, take your laptop with you. This will keep your information and device safe from any potential thieves waiting for their next opportunity.

Use These Holiday Cybersecurity Tips to Stay Safe Online

Is it really almost that time of year again? Although hectic and sometimes stressful, the Holiday Season can also be a fun time to relax, recharge and get reacquainted with friends and family.

In the midst of gift-giving to everyone else on your list, give yourself the valuable gift of a safer online experience.

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Looking forward to connecting again next week.

— Anthony Collette

Digital Kleptos™