Holidays can be hectic. You may need to make travel arrangements, buy gifts online and give back to charities. Cybercriminals are also busy trying to profit from you. You can still fight against cybercriminals and protect your personal data.
Security Tips for Online Shopping
The National Retail Federation reports that 73% of consumers will use their smartphones or tablets to search for holiday gifts or to make purchases in 2019. These are some simple cybersecurity tips to help you shop online.
Make sure your machine is clean. Make sure your internet-connected devices, including smartphones, tablets, and PCs, are clean before you shop for the perfect gift.
Secure Wi-Fi is possible Although it’s extremely convenient to use public Wi-Fi while shopping online at your local coffee shop, it isn’t safe. Do not make any purchases over public Wi-Fi. Instead, use a virtual private networking (VPN), or your smartphone as a hotspot.
Your login password must be secured For all accounts, create long and unique passphrases and use multifactor authentication whenever possible. Multi-factor authentication is a strong authentication tool that will strengthen your online accounts. It can be enabled using biometrics, unique one-time codes sent to your mobile phone or other device.
Refrain from succumbing to the temptation. Avoid tempting offers that seem too good to be true. Avoid websites that you have never heard of and only shop at established and trusted online retailers.
Before you click, think. Pay attention to the emails you receive. Do not open email from unknown senders, or click on links within suspicious messages.
Securely shop. You should make sure that your internet connection is secure. Make sure that you shop on a site with SSL protection. You can check your browser’s URL bar to find out. The URL should be https. Sites without the https are not secure for payment information and other personal details.
Be smart about how you spend your money. Instead of using a debit card that is linked to your bank account, use a pre-paid debit or credit card. You can also use trusted, established third-party payment services such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.
Keep an eye on your accounts. You should regularly check your online financial accounts for any suspicious spending. You can also take advantage of the text and email alerting service that many credit card companies and banks offer.
Safety Tips for Online Giving
Online thieves know that holidays are a time to give back. This makes charity donations an attractive target.
Do your research. Don’t feel pressured into giving on the spot. To learn more about which organizations are eligible for tax-deductible donations, visit the website of Internal Revenue Service. You can also use other online resources such as Charity Navigator or CharityWatch to find out more about charities and the way they spend the money that they receive. money.
Unsolicited requests should be ignored. Avoid receiving unsolicited calls or emails asking for donations, especially if they come from unknown organizations. Visit their websites or call to make a donation.
Before you pay, think before you act. Never wire money, or send cash. Make a check payable to the organization. You can also pay by credit card. You can verify that the website you are donating online is secure by looking at the https in https at the end of the URL.
Double-check the website. Cybercriminals can often create websites with names and URLs that look very similar to legitimate organizations. For discrepancies, be sure to check the URL and spelling of the name.
Safety Tips for Travel
Cybercrime is a threat to everyone, whether they are at home or on the move. However, you can take these simple steps to ensure your safety online while traveling.
Avoid free Wi-Fi. While free Wi-Fi may sound great, it can be unsecure and expose personal information and devices to hackers. Use a VPN or your smartphone as a hotspot to go online.
Confirm your network. Confirm your network connection to public Wi-Fi.
Disable auto-connect on your devices. Disable automatic connections from your mobile phone and tablet to Bluetooth networks or other Bluetooth devices. Instead, connect manually when you wish.
Secure your devices. Secure your iPhone, smartphone, tablet, laptop and accessories.
Avoid sharing computers. Avoid making purchases on computers in hotel business centers or other locations that have shared systems. It is impossible to know whether the security software has been updated or if they are safe.
SpartanTec, Inc. of Columbia wishes you a safe and secure holiday season. Call us today if you have any doubts about you company’s network security.
SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
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