Cyber Monday 2017 is expected to be the biggest shopping day in U.S. history, according to Techradar. The Pew Research Center reports about 80 percent of adults purchase products online and Adobe found that 30 percent of online sales were conducted via mobile devices last year.
But what does this mean for you?
With so many people shopping online during the busiest time of the year, this is also a prime time for cyber criminals. Kaspersky Labs, for example, reported significant spikes of phishing scams imitating well-known brands such as Amazon, American Express and Ebay during the 2016 holiday season. We often have a million things to be done during this season and don't look twice before we click. However, much trouble can be avoided by exercising some caution.
Here is what you can do to protect yourself and enjoy the holiday season with peace of mind:
- Keep clean machines: Make sure your devices are free of viruses and malware before you shop. Download ESU's free antivirus software here.
- Lock down your login: Safeguard your online shopping, email and banking accounts by creating passphrases or enabling two-factor authentication. Learn more here.
- Conduct research: Before you shop, research the websites you are going to use. Read reviews and pay attention to other people's experiences with the company. Pay special attention to the URL of popular sites. For example, criminals may create a fraudulent site called www.shop-amazon.com instead of the legitimate www.amazon.com.
- When in doubt, throw it out: Be especially cautious with emails about problems with your credit card or account or status of an online order. Pay special attention to ads that offer discounts too good to be true. If you're not sure whether an email you received is legitimate, contact the ESU IT Helpdesk at 620-341-5555 or helpdesk@emporia.edu.
- Your information is like money. Value it. Protect it.: Be alert to the information being collected about you - remember you only have to fill out the required fields at checkout. Your personal information has value, just like money.
To learn more, view the full holiday shopping tip sheet here. Happy holidays!
