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Community Newsletter | November 2018
9 TIPS TO HELP
YOU SHOP
SAFELY ON
CYBER MONDAY
Type the phrase “Cyber
Monday” into Google and
you’ll find links not only to
special Cyber Monday coupons and savings, but also to Cyber Monday-only
sales at some of the largest online retailers. It’s truly become the Internet’s
version of Black Friday. Cyber Monday began “officially” in 2005 (it was
made up by a marketer), but the phenomenon goes back to the beginning
of online shopping, before computers were a fixture in homes. People would
return to work on the Monday after Thanksgiving and shop from their
office computers. This year, more than 60 percent of American consumers
are expected to shop online on Cyber Monday, although many of us will
be shopping from the comfort of our living-room sofas. Cyber Monday has
gone mobile as well, with about half of online shoppers expected to make
holiday purchases from their smartphones or tablets. Of course, as the
popularity of Cyber Monday grows and the deals get bigger and better, the
risks of shopping online also increase. Cybercriminals love Cyber Monday
too and work hard to get rich off the huge number of people engaging in
online commerce around the holidays. To help shoppers stay safe and
secure on Cyber Monday, here are some tips.
Shop from a secure computer: A computer or Android phone that isn’t
protected by antivirus software is more likely to be compromised by malware.
Otherwise, all data entered into or transmitted from that phone or
computer is at risk, including all forms of personally identifiable information,
credit-card numbers and bank accounts. Be sure to keep the operating
system and all internet-facing apps updated to the latest software versions.
Shop using a secure connection: Data can be at risk during transit if
an attacker controls the network or uses packet-sniffing software. Web
protocols such as HTTPS encrypt communications, but in some advanced
attacks even those could fall to a “man-in-the-middle” attack. Nonetheless,
always look for the HTTPS lock symbol in your browser address window
when performing an online purchase.
Search for deals on retailer sites, not on search engines: Scammers
“poison” search results with malicious or deceptive links. Want that latest
game console? Run a search on the Best Buy, Amazon or GameStop sites
rather than on Google.
Use trusted vendors: Any website can be attacked by hackers, but limiting your
shopping to established and trusted vendors limits your exposure. Bookmark the
most trusted online retail sites to make sure you don’t get redirected to fakes.
Don’t fall for ‘too-good-to-be-true’ deals: Cyber Monday features a lot
of incredible, legitimate deals offered by trusted mainstream retailers.
But cybercriminals will prey on shoppers’ desire for the lowest prices
and will try to slip in a lot of fake deals. Watch out especially for emails,
text messages, pop-up browser windows and Facebook and Twitter posts
promising fantastic savings. Clicking on links in the messages or posts could
lead to scams, phishing sites or sites distributing malware. And don’t open
attachments in emails promising fantastic deals.
Plan ahead and don’t be rushed: Cyberattacks take but a split second to occur.
Sometimes all that’s required is clicking on a link in an email. Look for clues to
malicious links, such as an extra “.cc” at the end of what would otherwise be a
trusted domain name. Take the time to make sure you’re on the correct website.
Review credit-card and bank statements regularly during the shopping
season: Malware can infect credit-card readers in stores and unscrupulous
cashiers often steal card numbers as well. If you find a transaction that
doesn’t match your purchases, your account may have been compromised.
If so, contact your bank or card issuer.
Don’t use debit cards online: You’ve got far less protection against fraud
on a debit card than you do with a credit card. Stick to credit cards when
shopping online. If you absolutely must use a debit card, use the prepaid
kind with a set spending limit.
Use unique passwords and logon information for every site you visit:
Yes, it’s a pain to remember all those passwords. But if one of them is
stolen, a cybercrook will try using it on other websites. Passwords should
be as long as possible and contain a mix of upper-and lower-case characters,
numbers, punctuation and symbols - and they shouldn’t be reused,
especially for any website that handles your money. If you have trouble
handling them all, use a password manager.
If you’re shopping from a tablet or smartphone on Cyber Monday,
use a trusted vendor’s app, not a web browser: Vendors have more
control over their own apps than they do over mobile browsers, which
often don’t display the web addresses of the sites to which you’re giving
your credit-card information.
Never install software on your mobile device from a website link or
code: Software from locations other than the device’s official “store,” such
as Apple’s iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store, has a greater chance
of being malicious. Even then, check to make sure that the app developer
is the official retailer - a lot of Amazon-related apps in Google Play have
no connection to Amazon.
Source: www.tomsguide.com/us/cyber-monday-safety-tips,review-1956.html
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