During the holidays many of us choose the ease of shopping online. Although it’s a good way to avoid those painful lines at the mall, it also makes it easier for phishers and scammers to steal your personal and financial information. There is no 100 percent guarantee that a phisher, hacker or scammer won’t outsmart your system but following these tips can help to keep you safer.
1. Safeguard your computer- Installing and updating your anti-virus and firewall system is one of the first things that should be done before accessing the Internet. Without this basic component cybercriminals have easy access to the information on your computer. There are many free programs available such as ZoneAlarm, created by Check Point to protect consumers from being taken advantage of.
2. Be hyperaware- If a URL contains misspelled words or redirects you that should raise a red flag. If you receive an email that asks you to update your account information, send your social security number or bank account number, call your financial institution immediately. If the name in the URL or in the email is not a company that you are familiar with or have done business with there is a strong possibility you are being scammed. Never click on the link in a suspicious email. That will not only send you into an ocean of never ending spam but doing so can also expose your computer to a nasty virus.
3. Create a strong password- Many sites now ask you to use symbols, letters and numbers as a way to make your password more secure. Heed this most valuable advice and create unique passwords. Cyber crooks have special software that they use to penetrate your network. Outsmart them by making your passwords complicated and by creating separate passwords for all your accounts. It may seem time consuming but well worth the aggravation you can avoid later.
4. Fear Wi-Fi- Having the ability to use your Wi-Fi enable devices anywhere and anytime is great, but make sure you select a secure connection. While it maybe ok to read the newspaper online while using you local coffee shop's Wi-Fi, save purchases for when you get home.
5. Log-Out- This may seem like common sense, but when using a public computer always remember to log out. Also, pay attention and uncheck boxes that ask if you want your information, such as your password saved for future use.
6. Secure Credit- A debit card is a great way to avoid bills in the new year but a credit card for online shopping is a better bet. Credit cards not only allow you to dispute fraudulent charges but they extra protection not offered with debit cards. Also, when using your credit card online be wary of any website that doesn’t ask you to supply the CCV or CV2 number.
7. Check and check again- It cannot be stressed enough the importance of monitoring your checking and savings account, especially during the holiday season. The faster you can spot fraudulent activity the quicker you can stop the damage. Get online daily if necessary to check your transactions. Also, programs such as PageOnce, can help you monitor your accounts and will alert you when there are particular high transactions or if you are overdrawn.
8. Secure sites only- Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) encrypts sensitive information that you may use while conducting transactions online. While conducting your online transactions or bill paying make sure that the web address begins with https:// and has a padlock symbol next to it. Clicking on the padlock allows to identify the owner of the certificate.
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