According to Adobe Analytics, a record $19.62 billion was spent online between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2017. There is no doubt that Cyber Monday is a great time to get cheap electronics and other potential gift items. However, it is important not to cheap out on your cybersecurity when you do your Cyber Monday shopping.
Malicious attackers know that people love a good deal and can target shoppers with the promise of cheap goods on a malicious site. With $2 billion of Cyber Monday’s sales coming from mobile devices last year, it is imperative that you take proactive steps to protect your purchases.
Here are some tips to keep you safe on Cyber Monday:
Protect your Network:
- Use secure WiFi connections. When at home, make sure your WiFi network is set up with WPA2 encryption. When using public WiFi, use a virtual private network (VPN) to protect insecure connections, such as a hotel or airport WiFi. Doing this makes it harder for hackers to steal your login credentials or redirect your computer to a phony banking site.
Protect your devices:
- Ensure you have Antivirus installed on your computer and keep it up to date with the latest virus definitions. If you download any malicious files from a purported Cyber Monday website, an up to date Antivirus can help protect your computer.
- Be mindful when clicking on links you may see on social media for Cyber Monday deals, as they could potentially be phishing links that will redirect you to a malicious website.
- Make sure your browser (e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Safari) is up to date. This can help protect against known vulnerabilities that an attacker may leverage on a maliciously crafted website that has alleged Cyber Monday deals.
Protect your online accounts:
- Don’t reuse passwords on websites. Each website should have a unique password. A password manager can help you keep your passwords organized. With the amount of corporate cyberbreaches, hackers have many people’s passwords. You don’t want them to use a stolen password to access your other accounts.
- Use a strong password that is at least 14 characters long, has upper case and lowercase letters, numbers, and at least one special character. Common passwords like 1234 or password1 are too easy for cybercriminals to guess.
- Add multi factor authentication (MFA) to all online accounts that offer this security option. Two Factor Auth is a great website that has instructions on setting up MFA for many popular sites. If your password is compromised, accounts with MFA will require an additional step before a cybercriminal can gain access to your account.
Protect your purchases:
- Use a credit card when you make Cyber Monday purchases. Credit cards have more protection under the Fair Credit Billing Act that make it easier to dispute fraudulent charges in the event your credit card is compromised. Additionally, you’re only on the hook for up to $50 when fraudulent charges occur on your credit card. Fraud protection for debit cards is not always as robust or easy to navigate compared to a credit card. You may run into problems when disputing charges on a debit card and it can possibly take longer to resolve.
- If a Cyber Monday deal is only obtainable via Bitcoin, it may be in your best interest to skip said deal. While Bitcoin is a legitimate way of transmitting money, most online retailers aren’t actively accepting Bitcoin payments and there is no Bitcoin fraud protection. Don’t store your credit card on websites. Instead, store them in a password manager (e.g. LastPass, Dashlane) for easy use with “form fill/autofill.” This can help protect your credit card number in the event that website’s servers are compromised.
Just as you protect your home with an alarm system, guard dog, and home owner insurance, it’s important to take precautionary measures to protect your digital identify, data, and privacy.
If you’re ready to keep your family safe and private in the digital world, Rubica’s full-service cybersecurity solution protects you from:
- Phishing & malicious sites
- Malicious pop-ups & downloads
- Malware & device infection
- Identity theft
- Cryptocurrency-theft & unauthorized crypto-mining
- Man-in-the-middle attacks & privacy threats (internet traffic interception)
More than software with VPN technology, our cyber ops team — formerly with top security organizations like NSA, US Navy, and Scotland Yard — work from a US-based ops center to monitor your data 24/7 and identify threats based on your personal behavioral patterns.
Investing in Rubica and a password manager will not only protect your purchases, but also protect your family from cybercriminals.
