10 Tips to Safe Online Shopping this festive season

 At this time of year, everyone is getting ready for a busy online shopping season. Scammers are very busy taking advantage of the holiday gift-buying frenzy while you're tracking and avoiding all those "today only" offers and flash discounts.

Few tips for safe online shopping

 

1)    Use credit cards

It's advisable to stick with credit cards or online payment systems like PayPal while shopping online. As debit cards are linked to your bank account, they increase your risk of identity theft. Credit cards offer further security and lessen culpability if a card number is stolen.

2)    Shop from authentic sites

Make sure to confirm the authenticity and security of the website you are on before entering any personal or financial information. The simplest way to determine this is to search for "HTTPS" at the start of a website's address. The site is not encrypted and your data is not protected if you don't see the "s" at the end of "HTTP." For your protection, all trustworthy buying sites will include the "s."

3)    Avoid links

Beware of links to offers on social networking sites that seem too good to be true in addition to cunning attacks in emails. Be on the lookout for great deals, bonuses, and holiday goodies. If a deal gets you genuinely intrigued, think it over or see if anyone else has tried to take advantage of it before clicking.

4)    Strengthen your passwords.

Your best line of defense when it comes to protecting your private information is a strong, one-of-a-kind password. Take the time to change your passwords if you use the same one across many websites. Use a password manager to help you create and keep track of the kinds of long, complex passwords that are not worth a hacker's time to crack if you want to be practically hack-proof.

5)    Alert from email scammers

Avoid clicking on links in emails that come from people or websites you don't know. Another way the bad guys try to reach you is through bogus messages from your bank or other financial institution claiming there is an alert or issue with your account.

6)    Update the software

One of the simplest ways to protect your data is to update your software, yet many people put it off. Software upgrades are frequently made available to aid with security and combat newly discovered assaults.

7)    Don’t share unnecessary information

Skip the fields where providing a full address or phone number is not required. A bad individual might find you easier the more information you divulge.

8)    Avoid going public

When you're on the go, free hotspots are like manna from heaven, but hackers love them even more. Any information you enter on a public network is vulnerable because they aren't safeguarded.

9)    Logout from sites

Don't allow your computer or device to save your usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers after you access a shopping or banking website. Also, make sure you completely check out the website before leaving.

10)  Be smart while shopping

Make sure you don't let the program access to anything you find to be illogical, such as access to your contacts. Before downloading an app, read the comments and ratings to look for unusual activities.

Conclusion

You don't want unpleasant surprises like having your identity stolen or having your bank account emptied. By using this shrewd online buying advice, you may ensure that you only receive pleasant surprises this holiday season. Install K7 antivirus software as it shares your responsibility of cyber security.

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