The most wonderful time of the year is approaching. Holiday season is almost here. Children and adults are in anticipation of a miracle.
Christmas trees, jingle bells, sweets and of course, Christmas gifts. Everybody is buying presents for friends and family.
Eight in every 10 Americans will turn to the internet for holiday shopping.
Security experts warn that there are always some dangers to online shopping within ecommerce platforms and retail sites.
But there are also simple ways to protect your privacy.
So, how do you protect your online accounts from cyber attacks and hacks while shopping online? The answers are below in this roundup of holiday security tips from Dark Web News.
Best tips for secure online shopping
1.Keep the software on all your devices (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc.) up to date.
This will help you to protect your gadgets from hackers. If you do not update the software on your mobile phone and computer, it could be vulnerable for attacks. If you are using any firewall and antivirus programs, always keep their databases updated as well.
These practices will significantly lower your risk for cyber attacks.
2. Avoid public Wi-Fi while shopping.
There are many risks in public Wi-Fi zones. Public Wi-Fi could be unsecure and dangerous, so always use a secure network instead. Here are some pro tips:
- Always turn off automatic Wi-Fi connection if you do not want to suffer a hack.
- Do not connect to unknown networks.
- Be careful connecting to your social network accounts or email. You are entering passwords, and such private information can be intercepted in public Wi-Fi networks.
- Do not connect to online banking in unsecure networks without any protection.
- Do not use credit cards or PayPal in public Wi-Fi without any protection.
3. Shop only from authority websites.
Every time you go shopping online, make sure you can trust the website you're buying from. Be sure the site isn't fake before you enter your personal information or credit card details.
If you shop on Amazon.com or other well-known websites, you should not worry. But never shop on websites that have a domain name (or URL) that is similar to other reputable websites, but with misspellings.
This could mean the website is intentionally faking a legitimate site in order to reel in unsuspecting users and steal their credit card information.
Additionally, never share your PayPal or credit card data to third-party or unsecure websites.
And, even though the following tip may be obvious, it's worth reiterating: Never send your credit card data to somebody via email, Facebook, or other social messaging platforms.
Be wary of a website that asks for your social security number, date of birth or other pieces of personal information. Be sure you can trust that website first.
4. Shop only from https websites.
When entering your data and billing information, you should first check if the site is using "https" in its URL. This means that the website or web store has a SSL certificate. This can guarantee that your data is protected.
Avoid paying online if the ordering process goes through http protocol instead of https. There are lots of different ways hackers can still your credit card data. Avoid such risks!
5. Think twice if you see a deal that's too good to be true.
Sure, Christmas time is a season of sales, coupon codes and good deals. But please shop only on well-known websites to avoid scammers. Go to retailer websites instead of buying from doubtful one-page web-sites, even if they're advertising incredibly attractive deals.
6. Try a VPN.
You can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to keep your sensitive data protected. For example, you could try the free Opera VPN service, or any paid VPN solution.
There are many VPN services today, and you can choose any for your needs. VPN encrypts all your traffic so there is additional protection for your personal data. With a VPN program, you can log in to your online banking and social networks without any threat.
In any case, if you become a victim of cyber crime or theft, do not panic. There is a big chance that you mitigate the issue, but it will take some time.
You can go to your PayPal account or to your bank and decline unauthorized transactions. Ask for a refund and return your money. In most cases you can do that.
And whatever the case may be, you can learn from this lesson and avoid making such mistakes in the future.
Follow simple security tips and you will minimize the risks in online shopping. This way, no scammer or hacker could possibly dampen your Christmas Holiday mood.
Disclaimer:
The articles and content found on Dark Web News are for general information purposes only and are not intended to solicit illegal activity or constitute legal advice. Using drugs is harmful to your health and can cause serious problems including death and imprisonment, and any treatment should not be undertaken without medical supervision.
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