Stay Safe This Holiday Season With These Online Shopping Security Tips

cyber security Online Shopping Security TipsAccording to a recent report released by the National Retail Federation, nearly 60% of Americans are going to do at least some of their Christmas shopping online this year. They’re expected to spend more than $160 billion on online purchases for the holidays.

Are you planning on doing a lot of your holiday shopping online in 2019? Before you do, you should learn about some of the online shopping security tips that can keep you safe.

If you make purchases from the wrong retailers, you could end up paying the price for it. It could lead to your personal information being compromised. And in some cases, you could even lose money during the deal and have to take part in an investigation.

Check out some of the most important online shopping security tips to keep in mind as you use the internet to shop for your loved ones.

Always Use a Password-Protected Wi-Fi Network When Shopping Online

Studies have shown that about 90% of the U.S. households that have access to broadband internet rely on Wi-Fi connections in their homes. This means that you more than likely use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet in your home.

If you do, you’re going to want to make sure you’ve set up a password-protected Wi-Fi network for you and your family. People should have to put in a password to use the internet through your home’s router.

If you don’t have a password on your Wi-Fi network at the moment, set one up immediately. Otherwise, almost anyone will be able to hack into your network if they want and steal whatever information you use to shop online this holiday season.

Update Your Computer and Install Antivirus Software on It

Malware has become a huge problem for many Americans over the years. In the past, studies have suggested that up to 30% of computers in the U.S. might be infected with malware.

The problem is that most people who have malware on their computers don’t even realize it. It runs quietly in the background and gives hackers an opportunity to break into people’s computers and take their sensitive information.

One way to reduce your chances of inviting malware onto your computer is by updating your computer with the latest operating system. This will make it hard for malware to infect your computer.

Another way to prevent malware from becoming a problem is by installing antivirus software on your computer. It’ll look out for malware and let you know if it’s something you need to worry about.

You shouldn’t have to be too concerned about online shopping security if you simply secure your Wi-Fi network and make the necessary updates to your computer.

Make Sure You Only Shop Online Through Trusted Retailers

As we mentioned earlier, people are going to be spending tens of billions of their hard-earned dollars on Christmas gifts that they buy online. So many of them will do whatever they can to save a few bucks here and there.

Unfortunately, that sometimes means shopping for holiday gifts through online retail shops that they shouldn’t trust. It also means handing over their important financial information to someone who might not have the best intentions.

If the price tag on something seems too good to be true and you’re on a site that doesn’t look all that legit, take your business elsewhere. You might be walking right into a trap set by someone looking to steal your info.

Create Unique Passwords for Online Accounts

Most online retailers will let you make purchases through their website without setting up an account with them. You can complete a purchase as a “Guest” and not have to create an online account.

But many also offer discounts to those who go the extra mile and make an account with them. As a result, you might want to set up an account with a retailer to slash the prices on your purchases through them.

This isn’t a bad idea at all. It’ll make online shopping even more convenient than it already is. But if you choose to create online accounts, you should always come up with unique passwords for them.

If you use one password for all your online accounts and someone is able to get their hands on it, it could put you into a tough spot. You’ll have to do a lot of work to stop them from getting into your accounts and taking your information.

Use Credit Cards When Making Purchases Online Whenever Possible

When you make holiday purchases online, you’ll have the option to use either a debit card or a credit card in most cases. Whenever possible, you should try to stick with using a credit card.

Most credit cards offer better defenses against fraud than debit cards. If you ever notice any suspicious charges on your credit card account, all you’ll need to do is call your credit card company and let them know and they’ll reverse the charges made on your card almost right away.

It’ll be a much longer process if anyone ever manages to swipe your debit card number and use it. It could take weeks, if not months, for your bank to conduct a fraud investigation and get to the bottom of what happened.

Look for retailers that accept credit cards online when doing your holiday shopping. Preferably, you should search for those that use the AVS Credit Card Match system to keep their credit card transactions safe and secure.

Take These Online Shopping Security Tips to Heart

There is no reason why anyone should be afraid to shop online for holiday gifts in this day and age. As long as you do most of your online shopping through major retailers, you shouldn’t encounter any issues.

But remember all the online shopping security tips listed here when you’re doing your shopping online throughout the months of October, November, and even December. They’ll protect you and your important information and help you to have the happiest holiday season yet.

Take a look at our blog for more tips to help you survive the holidays.

Shift Frequency © 2019 – Stay Safe This Holiday Season

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