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It’s Cyber Monday! Probably the second (if not first) greatest shopping day of the year. But with online specials, comes special online shopping problems. Here’s a quick list to protect yourself on Cyber Monday (or any day you shop online).
Image courtesy of Overstock.com
It’s Cyber Monday! Probably the second (if not first) greatest shopping day of the year. But with online specials, comes special online shopping problems. Here’s a quick list to protect yourself on Cyber Monday (or any day you shop online).
Use a credit card instead of debit card
Credit cards offer more consumer protections than debit cards, and the money doesn't come straight out of your checking account.
Watch out for Phishing Scams
Stay away from any online promotions via email, text or social media. It's always safer to enter the URL of a store yourself than to click on a link or attachment.
Beware of ‘clone’ websites or use an app instead
Look for "HTTPS" at the beginning of an official retailer's URL. Or better yet, use the retailers official app on your phone.
Don’t use the public wi-fI
Free wi-fi seems great until you’re giving away your account numbers for free. Hackers use it to intercept your internet communications so it’s never a good idea to connect to the public wi-fi. Use your personal wi-fi hotspot or the network connection on your smartphone instead.
Secure your mobile device
Make sure you have the most up-to-date anti-virus software and that you are using a PIN to lock your phone. In addition, use long and strong passwords that don't repeat across accounts.
Check your credit
Check your accounts regularly for any suspicious activity or unauthorized charges and set up notifications, through your bank or a banking app, which will track your credit card transactions and alert you of account activity.
DID YOU KNOW?
Shoppers are expected to spend a record $7.8 billion this Cyber Monday, up over 17 percent from last year. At the same time, attacks against consumers spike during the busy online shopping holiday, according to OpenVPN, a provider of networking and software technologies.
*Original article sourced from CNBC
Play Hard To Get With Strangers
Cyber criminals cast wide nets with phishing tactics, hoping to drag in victims.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
If you receive a suspicious email that appears to be from someone you know, reach out to that person directly on a separate secure platform.
Phishing
Play hard to get with strangers.
Cyber criminals cast wide nets with phishing tactics, hoping to drag in victims. Seemingly real emails from known institutions or personal contacts may ask for financial or personal information.
Cyber criminals will often offer a financial reward, threaten you if you don’t engage, or claim that someone is in need of help. Don’t fall for it! Keep your personal information as private as possible. If they have key details from your life—your job title, multiple email addresses, full name, and more that you may have published online somewhere—they can attempt a direct spear-phishing attack on you. Cyber criminals can also use social engineering with these details to try to manipulate you into skipping normal security protocols.
If you’re unsure who an email is from—even if the details appear accurate—do not respond, and do not click on any links or attachments found in that email. Always avoid sending sensitive information via email.
If you receive a suspicious email that appears to be from someone you know, reach out to that person directly on a separate secure platform. If the email comes from an organization but still looks ‘phishy,’ reach out to them via customer service to verify the communication.
*This information is courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security as part of the 2018 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Never Click and Tell.
Everyone seems to be posting their information on social media - from personal addresses to where they like to grab coffee. You may figure, if everyone’s doing it, why can’t I?
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
While it’s tempting to do otherwise, limit your social networks to people you actually do know in real life.
Oversharing and Geotagging
Never click and tell.
Everyone seems to be posting their information on social media - from personal addresses to where they like to grab coffee. You may figure, if everyone’s doing it, why can’t I?
What many people don’t realize is that these seemingly random details are all criminals need to know to target you, your loved ones, and even your physical belongings—online and in the real world. Avoid posting names, phone numbers, addresses, school and work locations, and other sensitive information (whether it’s in the text or in the photo you took). Disable geotagging, which allows anyone to see where you are—and where you aren’t—at any given time.
While it’s tempting to do otherwise, limit your social networks to people you actually do know in real life, and set your privacy preferences to the most restrictive settings.
*This information is courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security as part of the 2018 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Don't Give Your Apps An All-Access Pass!
Have you noticed that apps you recently downloaded are asking for permission to access your device’s microphone, camera, contacts, photos or other features? Or that an app you rarely use is draining your battery life?
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
Your mobile device could be gathering all of your personal information!
APP SECURITY
Keep tabs on your apps
Have you noticed that apps you recently downloaded are asking for permission to access your device’s microphone, camera, contacts, photos or other features? Or that an app you rarely use is draining your battery life?
Your mobile device could be filled with suspicious apps running in the background or using default permissions you never realized you approved - gathering your personal information without your knowledge while also putting your identity and privacy at risk. Don’t give your apps an all-access pass. The following are some steps to avoid “over-privileged” apps:
Check your app permissions and use the “rule of least privilege” to delete what you don’t need or no longer use.
Learn to just say “no” to privilege requests that don’t make sense.
Only download apps from trusted sources.
Enable automatic app updates in your device settings or when they pop up, because having the most up-to-date software doesn’t just make things run smoother—it helps keep you patched and protected against ever-evolving cyber threats!
*This information is courtesy of the Department of Homeland Security as part of the 2018 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.