Holiday Shopping, Cybersecurity Edition: Stay Safe from Scams and Sneaky Threats
The holiday season can be a hectic time for shopping, and with all of the foot and online traffic, it is an optimal time for cybercriminals to strike. Hackers and scammers will take this time to target shoppers through fake Wi-Fi, fake websites, phishing emails, and other online scams. They will exploit typical human behaviors to entice shoppers to steal personal and financial information. With the increase of technology implementation worldwide and an increasing number of bad actors, it is very important to stay cautious, spot warning signs, and shop securely.
When shopping online, it is important to make sure that the products you are shopping for are from legitimate and trustworthy sources. Even for sites that are known to be secure, it is recommended to make sure your account and data are also secure.
How to Protect your Online Shopping Accounts:
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Reset your passwords
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Make sure that you are using new and up-to-date passwords so that it is harder for attackers to track down your passwords
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Enable Multifactor Authentication: MFA secures your accounts by requiring multiple forms of authentication such as face ID, touch ID, authentication codes, one-time passkeys, etc. to identify who is trying to sign in
When it comes to shopping from online stores, it is important to be aware of where you are on the internet and to be mindful before you click on a link or website. The online shopping market is very large with a total of 2.71 billion people who shopped online in 2024. With online shopping being so popular worldwide, bad actors are always looking to gather credentials and data as it is accessible across every corner of the internet.
How to Safely Shop Online:
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Stick to trusted stores
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Shop from websites you know or have used before
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When visiting these sites, make sure the URL is valid:
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‘Amazon.com’ is a valid source
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‘Arnazon.com’ is not a valid source
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Be wary of too-good-to-be-true deals
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Check other sites for similar deals
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Make sure the item you are buying is the correctly advertised item
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Use credit cards, not debit
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Credit cards offer better protection if something goes wrong.
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Credit card companies are safer when fraudulent acts occur against your account
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Look for secure websites
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Make sure the site URL starts with “https://” and has a lock icon as this uses a secure protocol for the site you are accessing
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Don’t click random pop-ups or suspicious links
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Even if they seem trustworthy, they might lead to fake sites
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Instead, do your own research and find the products you are looking for
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Watch out for odd payment requests
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Don’t send money to untrusted companies by cryptocurrency, wire transfer or gift card
Not all scams and attacks occur online; cybercriminals will use stealthy measures to try to steal your information or even gifts. While shopping in public places or even when having packages sent to your address, attackers can try to exploit commonly used systems to gain control of your accounts or steal your purchased products.
How to Protect your Information in Public:
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Avoid public Wi-Fi
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Public Wi-Fi can easily be used to entice users to join a fraudulent network where attackers can steal your information just by connecting
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Use a VPN and stick to trusted private Wi-Fi networks to keep your info safe
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Track your packages
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Make sure they do not get lost in shipping or arrive at the wrong address
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Track your packages so they are not left outside too long where they could be stolen.
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Check your bank statements
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If an attacker has gained access to a debit or credit card it is important to catch fraud early by spotting unfamiliar charges
References:
Online Shopping Statistics – Capital One Shopping
https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/online-shopping-statistics/
Keep Holidays Merry and Bright with Safe Online Shopping Tips from CISA - Patrick Massey - CISA
https://www.cisa.gov/keep-holidays-merry-and-bright-safe-online-shopping-tips-cisa
Holiday Online Shopping Tips - CISA
https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/holiday-online-shopping-tips
Holiday Online Shopping Safety - CISA
https://www.dhs.gov/medialibrary/assets/videos/6935
Holiday shopping safety tips – State Farm
https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/family/black-friday-shopping-safety-list
10 Cybersecurity Tips for Safe Online Shopping – Palo Alto Networks