TIPS TO STAY SECURE DURING 2020 ONLINE HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Online holiday shopping is already well underway, and retailers are expecting more people to shop via the internet this year than ever before. The release of the PlayStation 5 has already crashed multiple websites as shoppers were rushing to get their hands on the prized holiday gift, and that’s just the beginning.

Why do businesses need to worry about online shopping safety for the holidays?

Because many employees shop online while at work and on company networks. This means one click on a phishing site can have network-wide consequences.

Over 57% of American workers admit to shopping online while on the clock at work.

Employee awareness training about staying secure during online shopping in 2020, not only can help you avoid potential IT security issues, it can also keep your valued team members from getting scammed.

Here are several tips to share with your employees about online security when they’re buying gifts online this year.

NEVER SHOP SITES WITHOUT HTTPS

HTTPS is a protocol that designates the data through a website is encrypted. It’s signified by the use of “https://” instead of “http://” at the beginning of a website URL. There will also be a lock icon showing immediately to the left of the web address in the browser address bar.

Without that security, your credit card details would be unencrypted and could easily be stolen by any hacker monitoring site traffic.

DON’T SHOP ON PUBLIC WI-FI (UNLESS YOU USE A VPN)

You should get in the habit of never entering any sensitive information when you’re connected to a public Wi-Fi. Man-in-the-middle attacks are common, which is when a hacker connects to the same network and uses special software to spy on the traffic of other users.

It’s okay to just browse when on public Wi-Fi, but not to enter your password into a login page or any personal details like address and credit card information. The only exception is if you’re using a virtual private network (VPN) application that encrypts your traffic.

AVOID SALE POPUPS & ADS FROM UNKNOWN COMPANIES

One trick of hackers is to use sale popups and ads with a ridiculously great deal to grab your attention while you’re shopping online. These are designed as bait to get you to click over to a phishing site.

Once on the malicious site, the hacker can force a download of malware onto your device, which can easily spread across other devices connected to the same network.

USE ALTERNATE CHECKOUT METHODS

You can avoid entering your personal payment card details into a shopping site by using an alternate payment method that cloaks that information and keeps it private.

Look for these alternate checkout methods:

• PAYPAL
• APPLE PAY
• GOOGLE PAY
• SAMSUNG PAY

One other way you can shop online safely is to use a prepaid Visa or MasterCard payment card.

DON’T CLICK ADVERTISEMENTS IN EMAILS

Holiday sale phishing scams run rampant during the last two months of the year. They’re often designed to spoof the look of a popular retailer to fool the recipient into clicking a malicious link.

If the sale is legitimate, you should be able to go to the retailer’s site by typing their address in your browser instead, and seeing the sale that way.

It’s a good idea to get in the habit of always visiting sites directly rather than through email links, to avoid falling for a phishing scam.

ONLY SHOP ONLINE SITES YOU KNOW

Many shoppers end up getting scammed when they’re lured in by rock bottom prices on a site they’ve never shopped before. Even phishing scammers can make their websites look professional, making it easy for a person to mistake it for a trustworthy retailer.

Only shop online sites that you know to be legitimate and that you can verify are trustworthy through other methods (such as the BBB).

CHECK YOUR BANK ACCOUNT OFTEN

If your credit card number gets compromised, you might not realize a scammer is charging things in your name until a month later. Make sure during the holiday season when card activity is typically higher than usual, that you check your bank account often to ensure there are no fraudulent charges.

The faster you can call your bank about a bogus charge, the better. They’ll also generally send you a new card number immediately and deactivate the compromised card.

BE VERY WARY ABOUT OFFERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a prime stomping ground for scammers and they’ll often put up bogus sites and advertise them on social media to trick holiday shoppers into giving up their credit card details.

The FBI warns that some of the social media holiday scams include offers of vouchers or gift cards. These can often trick people into thinking they’re legitimate because the link may appear to be shared by a social media friend.

PROTECT YOUR NETWORK FROM POTENTIAL BREACHES

Unbound Digital can help your Johnson City, Tennessee business with solid network safeguards to keep out malware, ransomware, and other malicious threats that can come from holiday phishing sites.

Contact us today to learn about our managed IT services. Call 423-335-2461 or reach us online.