7 cybersecurity tips to help you shop safely this holiday season

If you're surrounded by the warm glimmer of colorful lights, the city covered in fresh white snow, and the smell of excitement and perfectly roasted turkey in the air, it can only mean one thing: the holiday season is here! It's that time of the year when we look forward to spending quality time with our families and search for memorable gifts to give them.

Over the years, online shopping has made finding and purchasing the perfect gifts so convenient and simple—even at the last moment. Starting with numerous Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers and sales continuing through the end of the year, it's never been a better time to find the perfect gift for your loved ones online. To enhance your experience, we've put together a few cyber tips to make your online shopping secure as well as convenient.

Cybersecurity tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping

Purchase from trusted websites
Attackers and con artists often set up temporary sites that resemble genuine shopping websites during the holiday season and try to obtain your vital login and payment information. Try to purchase from trusted and recommended online retailers or make sure to verify the validity of the website to keep your purchases safe and scam-free.

Avoid untrusted networks
Avoid making any online transactions or accessing your sensitive data on untrusted public networks. A potential attacker can steal sensitive data, like bank account and login details, that you transmit via the internet. We recommend using a VPN while browsing and also be sure to set your devices so they don't automatically connect to open networks.

Be wary of donation scams
Almost 40% of the charitable donations are said to be made in the last few weeks of the year. Scammers target users through texts, social media, and email for donations to charities that don't really exist. Always verify the legitimacy of the charity before making a donation.

It can't be too good if it's a trap
Refrain from clicking on offers that seem too good to be true. Scammers often bait unsuspecting shoppers with mouthwatering offers using false advertising and emails impersonating popular retail websites. Validate all URLs carefully before clicking on links, or rather search for the offer directly from the retailer's website. Adopt a password manager to keep your logins safe. Password managers often validate the authenticity of a URL and never fill your passwords on phishing websites.

Keep your digital identities and devices safe
It's easy to lose yourself, and your devices, when you're surrounded by people and unbelievable offers. Keep your mobile devices safe while shopping in the rush and protect them with a passcode.

Strong passwords for all your accounts
Secure all your online shopping accounts with a separate unique, strong password for each. This way, in case one of them gets compromised, you can protect all your other accounts from related exposure. Use a password manager like Zoho Vault to generate strong passwords for each of your accounts and help manage them from one secure vault.

Add extra protection for your accounts
Your online shopping accounts usually contain critical payment details. Use two-factor authentication like OTP or voice call, for these accounts to protect them with another layer of security.

We hope these tips help you have a safe shopping experience. With your constant support and feedback, we have been able to regularly improve your Vault experience and online safety. We want to take this moment to thank everyone for continuing to be a part of our journey, and to wish you all happy holidays.

Shop responsibly and stay safe with Zoho Vault!

Cheers
The Zoho Vault team

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