The holidays are here. And these final days of the year can be quite hectic. Unfortunately, it's also a hackers favorite time of year to take advantage of you. Read on for our Holiday Cybersecurity Guide 2022 so that you can defend yourself during the busiest online shopping time of year.
Whether its buying online gifts, booking your travels, or wanting to give back to your favorite charity, we all put in some serious internet time during this season.
The last thing you want to deal with is a hack. But don't fret, there's still time to fight back and protect your personal information.
We put together some security tips for you that are easy to implement during this buying season.
Follow these simple cybersecurity tips and best practices before doing any more online shopping.
Maintain a Clean Device
The National Retail Federation reports that 73% of consumers intend to make a purchase during the holiday season using their smartphone or tablet.
Make sure any devices you connect to the internet like PCs, smartphones, and tablets, are free from malware and threats by running the most recent versions of software, web browsers, and other programs BEFORE you pick out that perfect gift.
Use Secure Wi-Fi
That means stop online shopping while sitting in a Starbucks.
It can be really handy to jump on public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop or restaurant, but it is not secure for online shopping.
These places are the number one place hackers go to pry your information.
Avoid using free public Wi-Fi when making purchases. Instead, use a VPN or even your phone as a hotspot.
Secure your Login
All accounts should have lengthy, one-of-a-kind passwords, and multi-factor authentication should be used wherever available.
By enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics or a special one-time-code given to your phone or mobile device, multi-factor authentication will strengthen your online accounts.
Which means if a hacker is able to find your login information, they won't be able to use it unless they have access to the SMS number you have connected for verification.
Using multi-factor authentication is one of the best methods to securing your information.
Resisting the Urge
Lastly, it's important to remind you to resist the urge. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Regardless of how tempting some of those offers look, only buy from reputable and well-known online sellers. Stay away from store whose websites you have never heard of.
That's it.
Our simple guide that will help keep you protected from cyber criminals this holiday season. Stay safe and Happy Holidays!
Last week we had a battle of the internet browsers. Check it out to find out if Microsoft Edge is indeed better than Google Chrome.
If you want to protect your business from threats at any time of year, feel free to book a time to chat with us via the Calendly link below. I'd love to offer some suggestions to help get you started.
Click here to schedule a free 15-minute meeting with Stan Kats, our Founder and Chief Technologist.
STG IT Consulting Group proudly provides IT Service for Small to Medium Businesses in Greater Los Angeles. We'd love to see if we can help you too!
