Every festive season turns into a shopping frenzy, and the action has moved increasingly online. With the convenience of online payment and in-app purchases, with delivery to your door, comes the very real risk of cybercrime, with you as the target.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone loves a great deal during the Lunar New Year, and throughout the year. For cyber criminals, your frenzied shopping to get all the items you need delivered before the festivities begin is a prime opportunity. This is because in the euphoria and adrenaline rush of shopping, you will be more likely to make basic mistakes that can expose your personal data.\u00a0<\/p>\n
General Manager for Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia, Sylvia Ng explained that the brand understands festive season shopping is a priority for consumers but reminds that it is also a prime opportunity for cyber criminals. \u201cGet your shopping done safely. Sipping on an espresso at a local coffee house and doing your Internet shopping does seems convenient. However, you open yourself up to criminal activity by doing so. Public Wi-Fi networks are often less secure than private ones, and you risk the possibility of logging onto a phantom network instead of the real one, opening you up to potential identity theft\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone needs to be wary of public Wi-Fi when using your smartphones and tablets. If you have to do your shopping on any Wi-Fi network, you first need to ensure that it is secure and a network you can trust. Cyber criminals know consumers are more likely to visit sites with login accounts or financial information during busy shopping times. They can easily monitor all the information sent across public Wi-Fi networks, which can include your bank account or credit card number. Is that deal really so attractive that you are willing to put your online identity and finances at risk? Probably not.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year, don\u2019t let your last minute shopping frenzy lead you down a path of bad security decisions.<\/p>\n
Here are some common mistakes, and how you can avoid them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2022 Check that you are using the authentic website of your bank or payment system \u2013 this should be obvious, but it is a common mistake that can be very costly!\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2022 Pay attention to the https prefix, which indicates an encrypted connection \u2013 makes a world of difference.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Check the spelling of the website – a misspelled address is an obvious sign of a fake phishing page.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2022 Use that virtual keyboards to protect your password from being intercepted by key loggers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Also, consider the following when shopping online:<\/p>\n
Avoid ransomware<\/strong> \u2014 don\u2019t open email attachments from unknown shopping sites, and always back up your files.<\/p>\n