Cyber Monday Internet Security Tips

Most people are aware of cyber Monday and what it means in terms of internet security। Basically cyber Monday is going to be the busiest shopping day online with millions of people turning for the internet to find that perfect Christmas gift, and why not. There has never been such a wide variety of goods available for sale online but also there is a high risk of getting ripped off. Not by the retailers but by hackers who are ready in waiting for would be shoppers to enter there credit card details on their webpage.

Cyber Monday was however invented by the media and christened as the first shopping day of Christmas in recent times due to the huge surge in sales reported by offline and online retailers alike. The media’s spin is one thing but the risk of your bank account being wiped out is another thing. Here are some tips to safe while shopping online in the run up to Christmas.

1. Don’t use a public computer to do your online Christmas shopping, remember you are in public and you are opening yourself up to a whole range of problems by doing so.
   On the order page, before you enter your payment details, check that the URL starts with https:// or shttp:// and that there is a security icon such as a padlock or unbroken key in the corner of the screen. This indicates that the website is secure.
2. If you haven’t already done so, get some internet security protection। Firewall, anti virus and anti spyware is a must as starting in mid October in the run up to the shopping season there has been the highest reported amount of spyware attacks compared with any other time of year.
3. Beware of fraudulent emails। Thousands of these emails are in circulation all the time. Many claim to be from your bank, more from Paypal and others from credit card companies. Unfortunately there are still people unaware of these emails and are willing to surrender sensitive information to these thieves. Your bank, paypal or credit card company DO NOT request account information via email. If you do receive one of these emails report it to your bank and do not follow any instructions contained within the email.
4. If at all possible do not make your online purchases on or near cyber Monday। This is easier said than done but is a wise move if you want to make sure you are not the victim of fraud.
5. If you have a few credit cards, only use one for your online shopping at Christmas। This way you are limiting your exposure to fraud and make all purchases made easily traced in your credit card statement.
6. Avoid shopping online via a WIFI connection or Internet hotspot in stores or other public places. There isn’t a sufficient level of security o such connections and are susceptible to hackers. Never access your online bank account using Wifi either.