*sponsored by McAfee
I for one have no idea where the year has gone. It feels like mid-October to me and I find myself preparing for Thanksgiving in two days time! And then it’s Christmas. The kids are finalizing their lists for Santa and the Christmas shopping season is officially underway.
With the hustle and bustle of life, it’s really easy to push forward to try to get things done and forget about the little important things like looking after your devices. It doesn’t take long to download cybersecurity to protect your device from malware, viruses and to also protect your identity while you browse online.
Mcafee spokesperson Raj Samani reports that:
Three-quarters (75%) of Brits said Christmas puts a financial stress on themselves and their family, with the average Brit spending £482 on presents, turkey and other festive items.
54% of people believe that the stress of the Christmas season can cause them to behave carelessly online, however, Brits are at risk of losing £725 each this Christmas due to risky shopping habits.
It seems that when we are in a rush we are less likely to be careful of where we use the internet and with what site we buy from. I know for myself that I’ve searched high and low for special toys that the kids want for Christmas. Some years there’d be ones that were sold out and hard to find. I’d start clicking and buying from anywhere I could find one. So it’s really important to make sure your device is protected before the Christmas online shopping sprees begin!
McAfee’s tips to stay safe while shopping online:
– Always connect with caution. Public Wi-Fi might seem like a good idea, but if consumers are not careful, they could be unknowingly be exposing personal information or credit card details to cybercriminals who are snooping on the network. If you have to conduct transactions on a public Wi-Fi connection use a virtual private network (VPN) to help keep your connection secure.
– Think before you click. One of the easiest ways for a cybercriminal to compromise their victim is by using phishing emails to lure consumers into clicking links for products or services that could lead to malware, or a phony website designed to steal personal information. If the deal seems too good to be true, or the email was not expected it is always best to check directly with the source.
– Browse with security protection. As our daily activities become more ingrained in our digital lives, it is important to keep everything protected. A comprehensive security solution can help ensure that your devices are protected against malware, phishing attacks and device-specific protection in the event of loss or theft.
Do you have any other tips for staying safe while shopping online to share? Let me know in the comments. And happy shopping this holiday season! xx
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