Staying Secure During the Holiday Season
Cybercriminals look to the holidays as the perfect opportunity to spread malware, create scams and steal sensitive and financial information from unassuming consumers. So it is imperative that you’re armed with the knowledge to protect yourself during this season for the many scams that are out there. Let’s go over some precautions that can keep you safe.
- First, only input your data on trusted websites. Avoid the lure of ads, messages and popups from unrecognizable sites, as many of them use deals to make you connect to malicious phishing websites.
- Second, be mindful when reviewing your emails. This is the time of year when tons of email promotions and coupons come through your inbox, which act as the perfect opportunity to create genuine-looking phishing emails.
- Third, watch out for any fake USPS or UPS delivery notifications in your email. Scammers rely on people receiving lots of packages this season and are disguising malware links inside messages that look like delivery confirmations. If you’re expecting packages and want to track them, it’s always better to enter the tracking number on the sender’s website directly.
- Fourth, be cautious with holiday themed apps from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. There are lots of apps, games and other downloads that cybercriminals have infected with malware and seek to steal information from your device once you download them.
- Lastly, always monitor your banking and credit card activity for any fraudulent purchases. If you detect anything suspicious, be sure to act quickly with your financial institution to protect your account.
So here are some helpful practices for this season. Thanks for joining us and we hope to see you next week!
