The 2020 holiday season is fast approaching, and shopping is going to be vastly different than past years. The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing us toward online shopping – with 71% of people surveyed saying they will be shopping online. Shopping online will help you avoid COVID-19, but it will introduce cyber threats. So, before you shop online, know how to protect yourself.
First, only shop online with retailers you are familiar with. When you use a retailer for a lot of online shopping, e.g., Amazon, you are familiar with how their web page is laid out and should be able to identify when you are on their page or a hacked page. Since you shop there a lot, you should also be familiar with the web address. If you see a web address that you do not recognize, immediately leave that page. When you shop online with new or rarely used retailers, you will not be as familiar with the page layout or the web address and could be tricked into entering your name, address, and credit card information.
Second, always use a secure connection when shopping online. Trusted retailers should encrypt their web pages. You can tell if a site is secure by looking at the address bar on the web page. If you see a lock icon to the left of the web address, you know the site is secure. If you do not use a secure site to pay for your items, a cyber-attacker could be lurking on your transaction and may collect your financial information as you type it.
Third, if your retailer has an option to use multi-factor authentication, such as sending a code to your email or phone, you should use this option. If a cyber-attacker should somehow obtain your password, they would not be able to shop using your name without that second piece of information.
Finally, know what delivery service (Amazon, the U.S. Post Office, UPS, FedEx, etc.) is shipping your purchase to you. Cyber-attackers will be plentiful during the holiday season. Sometime during the holiday season you will receive an email from a “shipper” asking you to click on a link to track your package. Unless you know who is shipping to you, you may be tempted to click on that link. But that link will not send you to a site to track your package. It will download a virus to your device that could allow the attacker to access all the information on your device or stop you from using your device unless you pay a ransom.