By the end of 2022, e-commerce holiday sales are expected to hit $236 billion, according to ROI Revolution. You know who else wants to capitalize on those sales? Cybercriminals.

Here are 4 tips to get you through holiday shopping without giving up your security:

1. Don’t reuse passwords from retailer to retailer. If the company gets breached, a criminal now has access to data for multiple accounts. (Get more tips on setting passwords and on free software that stores them for you here.) 

2. Check the URL in the address bar. You’re guaranteed security when the site has either a small lock symbol to the far left and/or “https” in the URL. If you just see “http,” the site is not secure – do NOT provide any credit card information or bank account details. You can easily check link safety with these sites.

3. Don’t use a debit card to pay – only use a credit card. This way, if someone is able to access your account, you won’t lose what’s currently in your bank account. And most major credit cards have a $50 or less liability policy if unauthorized charges are made. So it’s important to watch those statements. If you do feel you’re the victim of fraud, here are immediate steps to take.

4. Be wary of any texts or e-mails about package deliveries. Even if you have something you’re tracking, go back to the site you originally purchased from to check notifications that way. Any links from an unknown sender could infect the device you’re on, which could expose you to viruses and malicious software.

More great tips can be found here: https://lifelock.norton.com/learn/internet-security/safe-online-shopping

While there are plenty of cybercriminals happy to scam consumers, who they really want to go after are businesses. Did you know that when an employee clicks on a link in an e-mail on a personal computer and then logs in to any work application, they now may have inadvertently exposed the entire organization to a security breach? That’s why every business needs a good team of cyber security specialists monitoring and protecting them from events like that.

To see how we work to protect businesses from online threats and increase productivity so you can just focus on your business, schedule here or call us at 1-888-966-9514.

TOSS C3 is a trusted Cyber Technology Services provider in Massachusetts that specializes in serving municipalities and businesses throughout the US.