Don’t let a cyberhacker (like the Russians who hacked Solarwinds — a government security provider) ruin your holiday season. 2020 has done enough to all of us in terms of canceling trips, quarantining, losing jobs and suffering ransomware and phishing attacks at work that you don’t want to think about getting hacked when you’re shopping online. The Solarwinds hack shows the need to get back to password security basics.
It’s estimated that 75% of all shoppers are making purchases online – a number that has grown exponentially during the pandemic. From grocery shopping to Amazon purchase to ordering take-out food, shopping from behind the keyboard is a safer way (from a health standpoint) than braving the crowds.
Because of the increase in online shopping and activity, hackers are having a field day. Here are ways to protect your identity from online scammers and hackers this holiday season.
Solarwinds Hack Shows Need To Get Back To Password Security Basics
Don’t click on an ad you see on Facebook (for example). If you see a site that looks intriguing, go to the site itself, not through a social media link.
Here are ways to protect your mobile device, because many of us use our mobile devices for everything from phone calls to reading websites (and this article!) to much of our shopping.
- Use a difficult to guess password for your mobile device. Double up on security by using a password and biometrics – like facial recognition or a fingerprint. Two factor authentication (2FA) is best.
- If you receive a notice to update software on your mobile device, do it. Many times updates will patch known potential security breaches. If you don’t want to be interrupted with an update and don’t want to forget, schedule it to run during the overnight hours.
- When you’re shopping, especially if you’re out in public, use a virtual private network (VPN). Don’t log onto public hotspots. You can purchase a VPN for about $10 a month. If you do a lot of online transactions and you’re not using your home network, use a VPN.
When shopping online, make certain the site is secure; look for https: and/or the padlock in the URL before you shop. Use a credit card for your online purchases. When you use your debit card, the charge comes out immediately; when you use a credit card you have more recourse for disputing a charge.
WareGeeks Solutions is a Roselle, New Jersey-based complete IT consultant and solutions provider. We specialize in Data Protection, specifically Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (#BCDR). Our 360 Protect Data Now service protects your business data and with the recent cybersecurity hack, you need to think, “this could happen to my business” but if you work with us, we ensure you are as protected as you can be against a cyberattack. We work with medium and large law firms and in the healthcare industry. If you have IT or security questions contact Seth at WareGeeks Solutions. For information or a consultation, call (877) 653-7146, or email us at info@waregeeks.com. www.waregeeks.com
