Financial Wellness
10 Practical Cybersecurity Tips for Holiday Shopping
Holiday shopping for friends and family is a fun way to step into the holiday spirit, but it can also be an easy way for cybercriminals to gain access to your personal or financial information.
As online shopping ramps up, so do scams and phishing attacks. Keep these cybersecurity tips in mind as you navigate your holiday shopping.
As online shopping ramps up, so do scams and phishing attacks. Keep these cybersecurity tips in mind as you navigate your holiday shopping.
- Only shop on secure websites: Check all site addresses for misspellings or anything that appears off. Look for "https://" in the URL and a padlock icon to ensure the connection is encrypted. Be aware of any websites that may mimic a popular shopping site, like Amazon or Walmart.
- Watch out for deals that are too good to be true: Use your instincts—if you see a deal offered at an extreme discount, that should at least be a yellow flag to double check the website and retailer. If the price feels unrealistic, it probably is.
- Use a secure connection: Avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi networks. A secure connection on your home Wi-Fi or through a trusted virtual private network (VPN) or hotspot will provide added security for your payment information.
- Beware of Donation Scams: Fraudsters know people are feeling extra generous during the holiday season. If you are making any charitable donations online, take extra steps to ensure the place receiving your donation is legitimate. Do extra research if you're donating to a place you haven't given to before and watch out for look-a-like charity names. Always donate through official channels and be skeptical of any urgent messages insisting to donate quickly.
- Use credit cards or secure payment services: Credit cards offer more consumer protection and make it easier to cancel or refund a payment if something goes awry.
- Use strong, unique passwords: Avoid using simple or repetitive passwords, and instead of using only a single word for your passwords, use a passphrase. Utilize a password manager to easily and securely track of all passwords.
- Keep devices and apps updated: If you receive software updates to your phone or other apps, download them. They often contain crucial security updates to patch vulnerabilities for hackers. Just double check the update is directly from your mobile or app carrier first—if it's a pop-up message, it's probably fake.
- Enable account alerts and two-factor authentication: Be sure your account alerts are turned on for your payment methods. You can also set card alerts to block specific transactions and set spending limits on your credit and debit cards. Use multi-factor authentication for any accounts to add another layer of protection against hackers.
- Don't fall for celebrity scams. If you receive a video or message that appears to be from someone famous promoting a product or service, it's fake and is likely even AI-generated to appear real.
- Track your packages directly through the merchant. Scammers often send fake delivery alerts that look like real tracking updates. To stay safe, always check your package status by logging in directly through the retailer's website or app. Avoid clicking on tracking links from unknown texts or emails.
Resources: Yale Information Security, North Carolina Dept. of Public Safety, KUTV 2 News
