5 Tips To Shop Safely This Holiday Season

It’s time for holiday shopping yet again. The weather is frightful, and the shopping deals are delightful- so our cybersecurity experts are here to make sure your holiday shopping goes smoothly! Here are 5 simple yet important tips for you to stay safe shopping online this holiday season.

1. Shop Private

There’s no place like home for the holidays- and holiday shopping. Enjoy shopping from the comfort of your home and your secure wifi to avoid public wifi where your personal information is vulnerable. If you do shop outside of your secure wireless network, use mobile data (from your phone) to connect to your personal hotspot (laptop).

2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Make your account 100x safer with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This means that every new device that attempts to enter your account will have to be verified not only by your password but also by another means of authentication, usually through verification through your phone. This simple action reduces any unwanted access to your accounts. Learn more

3. Update Your Passwords

This is the season to finally change your password. Cybercrimes skyrocket during the holiday season, and one way to reduce your risk is to create a strong password. make sure your financial and major online account passwords are different than your “main password” that you use frequently. Make sure to choose a password that’s a phrase only you know (like a line from a song you like) and use a password manager- we recommend Chrome’s Password Manager. Lastly, check out your exposed passwords by logging into Cyrus!

4. Beware of Scams

Make sure your holiday shopping list isn’t the only thing you’re checking twice! A common scam is copycat sites, where scammers create sites that look similar to reputable sites. When shopping online, double-check the URL to make sure it’s a reputable site, especially if you found the site on a search or through ads. Texting scams are also something to look out for. If a company sends you a text about a sale- don’t click the link as it might not be from the site.

5. Stay private

Give the gift of safety to yourself and your loved ones with Cyrus by adding security layers to banking, credit, and online accounts. The Cyrus app is free for a limited time and created by cybersecurity experts to keep your personal information personal. With 24/7 monitoring and real-time assistance at your fingertips, your accounts will be 1,000x safer this holiday season and beyond. Download the iOs app here.

And most importantly… Have a safe and happy holiday!