Happy Fraud-Free Holidays: Top 7 Holiday Cybersecurity Tips

Ready or not, the holiday season is officially here! The holidays are a time of year when we spend more time online and more time with family. For this reason, we need to be more aware of cybersecurity risks this season.

Online holiday shopping is predicted to see2.5% growth between November 1 through December 31. Protecting your in-store and online purchases this holiday season is essential when cyber attacks are more likely to occur. If you're wondering how to add layers of security to your holiday shopping experience, read on.

7 Ways to Practice Holiday Safety Awareness

Here are our top holiday cybersecurity tips to keep your sensitive information safe this holiday season.

1) Use an RFID wallet.

The holiday season brings crowds of people to malls and shopping centers which can potentially pose a cybercrime threat. Hackers and RFID skimmers target bustling, crowded locations. These hackers can retrieve personal and financial data from your RFID credit cards and ID. One precaution to prevent identity theft is using an RFID wallet. 

SLNT's collection ofRFID wallets offers a wide variety of styles. By utilizing the best RFID wallets, you instantly safeguard all your private information, allowing you to freely and safely conquer the mall.

2) Shop from your personal computer.

Online shopping for the holidays is a convenient way to beat the crowds and chaos of in-store holiday shopping. Protecting your personal information is vital, and it's best to conduct online holiday shopping from your personal computer at home or on a secure network.

It's wise to avoid making purchases on public Wi-Fi networks such as airports, coffee shops, and restaurants. These networks are not secure, enabling hackers to execute data breaches more easily.

3) Monitor your bank activity.

During the holiday season, keeping tabs on your bank account activity is key to ensuring everything is accurate and up to date. Check debit and credit card accounts daily, and keep an eye out for suspicious transactions you don't recognize. Report any such transactions immediately to your banking institution.

4) Opt for credit cards over debit cards.

It's best to make purchases with credit cards rather than debit cards. Once a fraudster has access to your debit card, there's no preventing them from spending everything you've got in your bank account. Also, it's easier to get your money returned to you from a credit card company than the bank if you had any unauthorized purchases.

Using third-party payment apps such as Apple Pay, PayPal, Google Pay, CashApp, or Venmo also adds an extra layer of shopping protection.

5) Shop on Secure HTTPS sites, not HTTP.

Only process your online orders if the website is secure and starts with HTTPS. If you're wondering why HTTP isn't safe, it's because HTTP sites lack the encryption and verification that HTTPS sites offer.

If you need help recalling which is more secure, remember HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol, and HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure.

6) Create unique passwords.

Use strong passwords, change them regularly, and never use the same password across multiple sites or accounts. One of the most important things you can do when shopping online is to enable the most robust authentication tools, such as security keys, unique one-time codes, and biometrics. Biometrics include voice recognition, fingerprint scanning, and facial and iris recognition.

Strong passwords and authorization codes increase security and help prevent identity theft and hacking. Practice smartpassword management with tools such as1Password rather than storing your passwords in your browser. This step will give you the peace of mind that your passwords are protected and unique while also making it easy for you to remember them all.

7) Keep your devices clean.

Now's the perfect time to scan your mobile devices and computers for malware. Updating the software and operating systems on your computer and web browsers can also help prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to your sensitive data.

Consider installing antivirus software on your computer or mobile device that is updated regularly with the latest virus definitions.

One of the best ways to keep your devices clean is to avoid clicking on links in emails from unknown people. If you receive an email from someone claiming to be from an unknown company, bank, or government agency, don't click on any links in the email—it could be an attempt by hackers to steal money. When it doubt, hit delete!

Stay Safe with SLNT Faraday Bags

Holiday shop safe this year! Ensure you're taking extra precautions to protect your personal information from cybercriminals. SLNT offers state-of-the-artFaraday bags to safeguard your data ranging from wallets to backpacks for everyday security.

Cyber breaches don't just happen during the holidays; people are victims of cybercrime and phishing scams daily. Our team at SLNT wishes you a safe shopping experience, whether online or in-store. Happy Holidays!