In this article, we listed some of the most important online safety tips everyone must know in the holiday season.
It’s the best time of the year—not to mention the most chaotic. Holidays are usually much more distracting than usual, such as meeting the deadline at the end of, buying last-minute gifts, getting seasonal deals, and planning festive parties.
Unfortunately, this busy holiday mood is a breeding ground for cybercrime and other malicious online activities. Hackers take advantage of this mess.
In fact, according to a 2020 Experian survey, one in four Americans was the victim of personal information theft and fraud during their vacation.
Here are some tips to keep in mind during this holiday season to check your online security and privacy.
Slow Down Online
It’s important not to get caught up in the surge of online activity during your vacation, even if you see an invincible deal with just one hour left. As mentioned earlier, cybercriminals and hackers thrive on this desperate energy, invading and cheating when possible.
For this reason, it is highly recommended that you pay particular attention when you are online during the holiday season.
Make sure you are using an encrypted website, be aware of signs of phishing and other scams, and do not provide personal or financial information immediately. Along the way, familiarize yourself with the various attack vectors that attackers use to do damage.
Check Your Credit and Bank Statements More Often Than Usual
As mentioned earlier, personal information theft and other forms of cybercrime increase during the holiday season.
Be sure to check your bank statement more regularly to prevent suspicious activity from slipping under your radar. Make it a habit to look at your bank statement and look for something unusual every day (or at least every other day).
Remember the Golden Rule: If It Looks Too Good to Be True, It’s Probably True
Did you find an offer online that you can’t just say no to? Work in your favor and stop before trying. If you come across a once-in-a-lifetime Black Friday bargain, that’s usually the only deal that looks too good to be true.
Stay tuned for Instagram alerts, away from ridiculously cheap prices-and pop-ups that can seduce you while pretending to be other social media ads, emails, and more.
If you want to dig into it, you should look up the alleged transaction directly on the website to make sure it is legal. Simply put, think before you buy.
Control Your Order Status Directly on the Website Where You Purchased It From for Your Online Safety
When ordering online, companies typically send an email with a link to view the tracking information and status of the package.
While this is useful for customers, it is not uncommon for cybercriminals to create legitimate phishing emails that mimic these actual tracking emails.
As an additional precaution, avoid clicking the tracking link in the email and instead go directly to the website you ordered to check the status of your order.
Be Careful About Charity Scams
If you are a charitable person, don’t forget to step carefully. Many criminals use the spirit of giving gifts to try to get people to “donate” money.
For your safety, do some research before making a charitable donation. Donate only to trusted charities and always check your phone number. Beware of emails from unknown senders asking for donations, as this is likely a scam.
Also, if a well-known brand appears in your inbox and is asking for money, take the risk of visiting its website or calling directly for more information.
Be Careful When Using Public Wi-Fi When Traveling for Your Online Safety
While this piece of recommendation is the golden well-known irrespective of the season, public Wi-Fi ought to be dealt with more carefully around this time.
If you`re visiting for the vacations and counting on airport and lodge hotspots, hold in thoughts that public Wi-Fi is inherently unsafe.
Any individual the use of the identical community can secret agent for your net visitors and doubtlessly thieve or jeopardize your personal details. Keep your connection stable with the aid of using the use of a VPN.
Update Your Passwords
Take a few minutes to update all your passwords to stronger and harder to guess before you start shopping online.
With the rise of cybercrime this season, criminals are working harder to crack passwords and cause serious damage. To create a strong password, combine letters and numbers as well as letters and choose long sentences instead of simple words.
Do not use passwords in words that are easy to understand with proper snooping, such as your birthday or your mother’s maiden name.
It is Better to Use a Credit Card for Online Shopping for Your Online Safety
Always use your credit card when shopping online to ensure financial security.
In the event of theft or hacking, using a credit card will affect the bank, not the actual money, so it’s easy to solve the problem. This also limits the amount of money a thief can steal.
These simple online habits allow you to enjoy the holiday season without compromising your privacy and security.
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