Security Tips For Cyber-Monday & Holiday On-Line Shoppers

[ritchie58]

It is estimated that on-line shoppers will spend at least 6 billion dollars worldwide during the Cyber-Monday retail event that's about to start in just a few hours. You know that scammers & hackers will be trying to get in on the action too so here is a few simple tips to use to help keep you from becoming a scam victim.

 

1. Make sure your Operating System has all the newest Microsoft Windows security patches installed first.

 

2. Use a good antivirus vendor's software and make sure that it's also operating properly and is up to date. It's not a bad idea to run a AV scan to make sure you're not infected with malware before doing any shopping too.

 

3. Use only major retail outlets that you know & trust and make sure to look for the "HTTPS" header. This assures that it's not a copy-cat bogus site and that your log-in & payment information remains secure.

4. Use a unique password for each website, especially sensitive accounts.

5. Use a credit card instead of a debit card when it's time to check-out the items in your on-line shopping cart.

6. Don't forget to log-out once you're done with that site and delete all the associated cookies from your browser.

7. Be very wary of emails you get during this holiday shopping season, especially if it's a site you've never done business with or even if it's from a retail outlet that you're familiar with, still use caution. If it's a deal you want to look into go directly to the site instead and "do not click on any links or attachments" included with the email. Scammers are great at making a bogus email look like it's legitimate.

8. More words of wisdom comes from this old saying: If a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is!
 

A little common sense really can go a long way to help prevent you from becoming just another victim to a cyber-criminal or organization!

 

Cheers, Ritchie...