Deck the halls with bells and…phishing attempts? 

Unfortunately, while the holidays are a time of joy and thankfulness, the holiday season also sees an increase in online cyber scams. All the online gift shopping, traveling, and over relaxation create a great environment for scammers to take advantage of you while your guard is down.  

But not to fear! Operating with a healthy sense of caution and recognition of the threat environment can help keep you secure and your holidays merry.  

Keep reading to learn Telcion’s tips and tricks for staying safe online during the holidays. 

Exercise healthy skepticism of deals and offers  

Tons of reputable businesses have sales and promotions around the holiday season to take advantage of gifting traditions, but there are also a lot of shady operations that will try to take advantage of you as well. You can investigate seller legitimacy through customer reviews, checking for secure payment gateways, and brand reputability. Try to stick to reputable online vendors and avoid unfamiliar retail websites, especially if they’re advertising an overly tantalizing deal—a simple verification can help you from falling prey to scams disguised as attractive offers.  Sometimes a good deal really is too good to be true. 

Think before you click  

The holiday season can be relaxing, but it can also mean your guard goes down, so pay careful attention to any links that you are clicking. Only visit links from reputable domains and take great caution with interacting with content from unknown sources. Even if an external link came from a familiar source, taking the extra step to verify that the source is legitimate can help you protect your online footprint. 

Ensure secure shopping  

You’re probably doing a lot of Christmas shopping online, so it’s important to be extra careful with your e-commerce transactions during the holidays. Only purchase from websites with secure payment gateways, and make sure that the website’s web address says “https” and includes the lock icon. Sites lacking the ‘s’ (which stands for “secure”) shouldn’t be trusted with any personal information, and generally should be avoided.  

You can also consider using a credit card on your purchases for additional protection. Many credit card providers offer purchase protection plans, enabling you to cancel transactions if they're identified as fraudulent. This added security buffer shields against potential financial risks associated with online shopping, and can help protect you from credit card fraud as well.  

Watch for SMS phishing (smishing) 

Just because you get a text from a brand or store you’ve supposedly subscribed to doesn’t mean that it’s legit. Sometimes scammers will pose as reputable brands in order to steal your information and money, so make sure to verify all links and information received for security and accuracy. Whenever possible, if a text from a brand includes a link directing you to their site, try to visit the site manually through your web browser as opposed to clicking through on the link provided.  

Only use trusted Wi-Fi connections  

As you’re traveling during the holiday season make sure to be careful when connecting to new Wi-Fi networks. Approach passwordless networks with caution, and try to use a VPN, if possible, on public Wi-Fi connections. This is especially true if you are working remotely. Accessing company networks from an insecure connection can have devastating consequences, so protect your organization and yourself by being shrewd with the internet connections you are hooking into.   

Taking measures to protect your online footprint is important every day of the year, but it is especially important to be aware during the holiday season when the threat landscape is heightened. It doesn’t take much to be alert and aware online during the holidays, but a few small steps can make a big difference when it comes to your online safety. No one wants their holidays impacted by credit card fraud or a network breach, after all.  

If you want to learn more about staying secure online, then feel free to browse more blogs on the topic (some are linked below!). Or, if you want to have a conversation about how to beef up cybersecurity for your business, contact the Telcion team today and one of our staff will reach out to you to have a no-pressure conversation about your current environment.  

This post was contributed by Eric Grimm, our Director of Security. Eric is a Certified Ethical Hacker, holds a Masters Degree in Cybersecurity, and has multiple Cisco Security certifications.

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