10 ways to stay safe online during the holidays
Cybersecurity company, Performanta, has given several actions you can take to make yourself more
Cybersecurity company, Performanta, has given several actions you can take to make yourself more digitally secure and stop online fraud or theft from spoiling your fun and festivity this holiday season:
1. Notify your bank of travel. If you plan to go away and transact in places you don’t usually frequent, consider informing your bank’s card division that you’ll be travelling. This will help avoid false-positive reports, and your bank can triangulate any suspicious activities more accurately.
2. Keep an eye on your bank statements. Periodically check your bank transactions for any suspicious activities.
3. Don’t use public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions. If you want to log into your online banking or something similarly sensitive, use an encrypted Wi-Fi network with a password.
4. Enable device location services. Offline criminals are keen to steal your phone or other devices. Many modern devices have a ‘find me’ service. Check if yours provides one and activate it.
5. Get a separate spending card. Consider getting a separate card with an account not directly linked to your other accounts. That way, if anything happens, they only get what’s in that card’s account.
6. Be suspicious of apps. Criminals can use apps on your phone to spy on you and steal your details. Be very critical of the apps you download. Only download apps from official app stores.
7. Watch out for holiday scams. Online criminals use a variety of scams to steal your details and money. These tactics include fake charity drives, coupons and vouchers, prizes and unbelievable specials. They often piggyback on the names of known brands.
8. ‘Tis the season for phishing. Phishing is the act of an email or text message that looks like it’s from someone you know or trust. For example, it might be a message warning that your bank account will be frozen unless you confirm your login details, and it provides a link to click. If you get a message that tries to scare you into doing something, directly contact the company it claims to be.
9. Activate two-factor authentication. This is a very effective way to thwart online criminals.
10. Watch your social media posts. For example, if you go away for a holiday and post about it on social media, it could alert criminals that your home is uninhabited. Make sure your posts are private, and try to avoid posting too much information about your activities.
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