Given the circumstances, many consumers will be doing their Christmas shopping at the last minute. However, they should not forget that they are not the only ones accessing the various sites, as hackers are monitoring and exploiting weaknesses in their security.
According to Tampa Bay cybersecurity experts , there are some steps users can take to stay safe .
Basic steps
Update software to the latest version to avoid falling victim to any known software issues that someone might exploit.
Next, update your browser to avoid the same type of issues.
When you go to a website to make a purchase, make sure the website address starts with “https,” which indicates that your connection to the website is secure so that hackers snooping on your web traffic can’t see information like passwords or payment card information that you send.
Once you are ready to make your purchases, experts recommend using a credit card. If a criminal discovers the details of your credit card, your money is usually not immediately available. But with debit card details, thieves could take money from your account instantly. And while the bank will probably return the money, sometimes it can take 30 to 45 days for this to happen.
As the holidays approach, you're more likely to be concerned about a delayed shipment of your purchases. Joseph Pilliod, CEO of cybersecurity compliance firm GarrisonPro, said his company is seeing an increase in package delivery notifications.
A malicious actor will send a text or email, often impersonating a specific service, such as Amazon or UPS. It will ask them to click on a link and log in to see what the update is. This link, however, is malicious and the attacker then steals the person's login information for a website like Amazon and tries to use it to steal financial information, such as a credit card number.
Once the holidays are over, you are not yet completely safe from hackers. Beware of scams trying to get you to click a link about a “return” you made after the holidays, especially those that say you have a store credit or cash waiting for you.
