Four Cyber Monday Safety Tips

Cyber Security, In The Know, Tech Tips

Cyber Monday is projected to have a record-high $6.6 billion in sales today, according to Adobe Analytics.

Although the deals can save you an outrageous amount of money, being scammed into credit card fraud can do the exact opposite. Just last year, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported thousands of U.S. credit card fraud victims, collectively losing around $48 million.

Make sure to read some of these cybersecurity tips before you buy online:

1. Make sure your passwords are strong.

This may sound like a given, but just changing a few letters in your last name is not considered strong. Try combing letters, numbers, symbols and characters. Also, remember to not include personal information or display your password when typing it in.

2. Only trust secure sites that begin with “https”

The “s” means that the site is secure.

3. Don’t shop using public hotspots.

You can never be 100% positive that public Wi-Fi networks are secure and when it comes to your personal information, it’s never worth the risk.

4. Try to steer clear of unfamiliar websites.

Even if the deal sounds too good to pass up if you’re not familiar with the website its best to avoid it.

At the end of the day, you should always trust your gut! If it looks fishy, it probably is. …now let’s get to shopping!