Online shopping not only attracts the attention of shoppers looking for a good deal, it also attracts the attention of cyber criminals. These criminals are keen to take advantage of the online market, to launch their online scams for their personal gain. In 2020, the use of retail phishing URLs jumped by 275% the week before Black Friday. Whilst nearly 79% of retailers suffered credential stuffing, where previously breached credentials are used in automated attacks across large numbers of sites. The latest figures from Action Fraud, show UK shoppers were conned out of almost £13.5million last year
Here are some tips to keep you safe online during Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
1. Check that all devices and software are up-to-date
Cybersecurity solutions like antivirus, firewalls and Internet protection, must be installed on any connected device. Before Black Friday starts, check if these solutions are up to date and apply any necessary patches. On PCs and laptops using windows 10 or above, you can use Windows Defender, a free tool which can help protect users with basic security services.
2. Look out for fake websites
A growing way for cyber criminals to try deceive shoppers is persuading them in clicking onto their fake Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Cyber criminals will copy popular/well-known websites to trick users into thinking they are shopping on a legitimate site. The website may appear almost identical to the real site. Before buying anything, when visiting a site pay attention to the URL, and if you are unsure, you can always check the validity of a websites URL by using search tools e.g., URL Checker by IP logger.
3. Beware of phishing emails
Be wary of any emails offering cash values or last-minute deals. These emails are designed to tempt shoppers into clicking on a link which may appear to come from a well-known retailer. Normally offering discounts which seem too good to be true, or trying to get the user to act quickly by associating a time limit on these deals. If these links are clicked on, the criminal could take your personal details, by using a term known as key logging. This makes you use your credentials to sign into a fake page. Then the criminal will use the newly attained credentials to commit fraud or install a malicious malware into your device.
4. Use a VPN
A Virtual Private Network is a great tool for staying safe online. VPNs work by encrypting your data and keeping the IP address secure. This allows anonymous browsing when using the internet. VPNs will be invisible to third-party snoopers. It’s the most cost-effective mechanism you can employ, to make sure your browsing data remains safe from spying eyes.
5. Unique passwords and Two-Factor Authentication
User passwords are one of the biggest causes of account hacks and breaches. If you are using the same password across all websites and one of those sites get hacked, the hacker will have access to your other accounts. A good website to check is ‘haveibeenpwned’. The website will show which accounts and the corresponding accounts, have data leaks associated with them.