Cybersecurity should always be an issue when shopping or simply browsing online. However, when the holiday season starts safety can be pushed to the back of our minds in the quest for the best digital deals.
The annual Norton Cybersecurity Insights report shows that consumers the world over are now more concerned about being robbed online than they are of being robbed in the street. However, when the study, published on Nov 23 dug deeper it found that despite these very real concerns, few consumers' online security practices were sufficient to ward off viruses, phishing or malware attacks.
In recent weeks, Amazon has noticed suspicious online activity, the Hilton Group has been breached and Vtech, the children's toymaker has become the latest company to fall victim to hacking, exposing customer passwords and details in the process.
So how do you keep yourself safe from bogus websites and deals, or at least limit the damage when a trusted company falls victim to an attack?
Mix it up
The most obvious step is to ensure that for every online account held, there is a unique password protecting it. Too may people, understandably, recycle their passwords but, if one site is hacked and details retrieved, it won't take long for the same criminals to unlock other accounts if they're protected by the same e-mail and password combination.
This can be a lot to do – the average consumer now has over 25 separate online accounts covering everything from shopping to social networks. But at the very least, ensure that the email and password for your banking services are not used in any other aspect of your online life.
Plastic is fantastic
Make purchases by credit card as they offer protection from fraud. If you don't hold a credit card, think about using pre-paid cards or systems like PayPal to limit potential financial exposure if details are exposed.
Up to date
Make sure all anti-virus software and all applications on your computer (particularly for the browser) are the latest version and that all patches have been installed. While you're at it, make sure everything is backed up, ideally to an external physical hard disk as well as to the cloud.
It's not what you know, it's who you know
The best deals might be on tiny, specialist sites, but the best security and protection is most likely to be offered by the likes of Amazon, Best Buy or WalMart. Trust, transparency, and the ability to talk to someone if things go wrong are more important than snagging a Star Wars figure at an unbelievably good price.
Don't get hooked
Phishing scams run throughout the year, but we're more likely to be susceptible during the holiday season. Especially if the convincing email appears to be about a delivery or an order number. Make certain that it is a legitimate email by going to the company's website via a Google search or typing in a url, rather than clicking on a link inside the e-mail. — AFP Relaxnews
