Be Safe During The Holiday Season<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Internet scams and cyber criminals flourish, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you need to avoid online shopping altogether. Safe online shopping is indeed possible, provided you take the proper precautions and follow important Internet security tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the most part, online shopping is actually a very safe activity. It\u2019s individuals themselves, and their Internet and online shopping habits, that make it unsafe. And that is exactly what cyber criminals are relying upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though search engines are very useful when you\u2019re looking for products, reviews, or price comparisons, you run the risk of unintentionally clicking on \u2018poisoned\u2019 search results that could lead you to malware instead of your intended destination. Malware has the potential to wreak havoc on your computer, or steal your usernames and passwords to your online accounts. Regardless of what type of malware it is, you certainly don\u2019t want it infecting your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how do you avoid these poisoned search results that are created by cybercriminals? You can use tools such as Kaspersky\u2019s URL Advisor \u2014 or third-party browser add-ons, such as Web of Trust. These can help prevent you from clicking on poisoned links and entering malicious websites. You can also follow the next Internet security tip for safe online shopping\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scammers who send phishing emails rely on you to click on the link in the email to be taken to a retailer\u2019s \u2018website\u2019. Likewise, with links on poisoned search results. However, those links actually lead you to cleverly designed lookalike websites. So when you think you are putting your username and info in Amazon\u2019s website, you are actually giving it to a cyber criminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, to make sure you are going to the actual, authentic retailer\u2019s website, it\u2019s much safer to type the retailer\u2019s URL into the address bar on your web browser. It may take a little more effort, but this simple action can help to prevent you visiting a fake or malicious website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use a dedicated email address<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In a similar fashion to creating a \u2018clean\u2019 computer, you can do the same with an email address. Create an email address that you will use only for online shopping. This will severely limit the amount of spam messages you receive and significantly reduce the risk of opening potentially malicious emails that are disguised as sales promotions or other notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an example, if you use your dedicated online shopping email for Amazon.com, but receive a message from Amazon in your primary email account notifying you of an issue with an order or your Amazon.com account, there is a good chance it is a fake or malicious message sent by cyber criminals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using strong passwords and using a different password for each online account is one of the most important things you can do for safe online shopping. We know it can be difficult to remember so many different passwords, especially when they are comprised of numerous letters, numbers, and special characters. But you can use a password manager to aid you in keeping strong passwords for multiple accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoid using public Wi-Fi to log in to online accounts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Coffee shops, hotels, restaurants, and other public areas often provide free Wi-Fi. This can be useful for checking email, messages, browsing the Internet, and other online activities. But using public Wi-Fi to sign in to a private account is a big security risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Savvy hackers could be hijacking the Wi-Fi signal, or even setting up their own to trick you into using it. And they can see everything you do on your own mobile device or laptop. That means if you sign in to an online banking account or retailer website, the hacker will acquire your username and password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also important to be aware of using public Wi-Fi in retail brick and mortar stores. For example, w<\/strong>hen you\u2019re in a shopping mall \u2014 about to make a purchase \u2014 it is understandable that you might want to check some online e-tailer websites to see if they are offering better deals. But cybercriminals are counting on this and can intercept your data and capture your passwords, login details and financial information. If you need to access the Internet when you\u2019re out shopping, it\u2019s safer to do so via your mobile phone network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for the padlock. Look for HTTPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check the website\u2019s URL for \u201cHTTPS\u201d and a padlock symbol in the address bar. This indicates that the website encrypts your data, making it difficult for hackers to intercept and steal your information. Avoid websites with only \u201cHTTP,\u201d as they lack the essential security protocols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regularly Check Your Statements<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frequently review your bank and credit card statements to identify any unauthorized or suspicious charges. The sooner you catch and report such issues, the better your chances of resolving them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep Software Updated<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensure that your device\u2019s operating system, web browser, and antivirus software are up to date. Updates often include security patches to protect against the latest threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n End of Windows 10<\/p>\n\n\n\n Windows 10 launched in 2015 and had a good ten-year run, but on October 14, 2025 Microsoft is set to pull the plug on it and stop issuing new support patches and security updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s significant because once that Windows 10 end of life deadline happens, everyone still using Windows 10 PCs will become increasingly vulnerable to malware. Keeping your PC off the Internet will help protect you, but most of us can’t afford that luxury these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re still using Windows 10 right now, don’t worry \u2014 it’s not going to suddenly stop working, and neither is your PC. But you do need to seriously think about what you want to do, because staying on Windows 10 without support from Microsoft is risky.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Online shopping is convenient, you can shop around,\u00a0find the best prices, and have your packages delivered to your doorstep without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. However, getting a great deal online involves more than just getting the lowest price. You\u2019ll want to be sure that products arrive on time, that worth is what you expected, that items include a proper guarantee, and that there is a way for you to return products or get support with any questions or issues you have.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stay-safe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69,"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thimblesandhooks.com\/shopping_pirates_online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}