30 Nov How Businesses and Consumers Can Avoid Cyber Attacks When Holiday Shopping

Keep Your Holiday Shopping Merry & Bright- Avoid Those Cyber Attacks!

Cyber Monday (which is now often extended to the weeks leading up to Christmas) is the biggest online shopping period of the year. Cyber Monday presents a great opportunity for online shoppers as there are some serious online discounts, promotions and bigger deals offered by retailers. Although Cyber Monday is highly anticipated by retailers and consumers, it also presents a golden opportunity for hackers to exploit businesses and consumers with cyber attacks.

There is no denying that Cyber Monday is a great revenue booster for various businesses, but it is also a time of the year when approximately 65 percent of organizations report cybercrime and cyber attacks. This seasonal period is like a goldmine for hackers to steal credentials of online buyers and also harm the reputation of a retailer.

The SonicWall Capture Labs threat research team analyzed cyber threat data from the second half of 2017 and it was not a surprise to find out there was an enormous spike in the number of malware attacks last year on Cyber Monday. Here are some of the official data points from 2017:

• There were over 113 million malware attacks by cybercriminals on Cyber Monday last year. As compared to the yearly average, it was a 4.4x increase in cyber-attacks
• There was a 27 percent of a jump of malware attacks on Black Friday
• There was a 127 percent of a jump of Ransomware attacks on Cyber Monday

How Companies Can Avoid Cyber Attacks

There are many reports that suggest that many companies become a victim of cyber-attacks on Cyber Monday. It is mainly because many corporations take poor security measures to prevent sensitive data and confidential information from cyber threats and hackers. Here is how companies can avoid cyber threats:

Encrypt the Data: In order to keep an eye on any online activity, encryption is really important

Use Antivirus: It is a great option when your framework is defragmented.

Firewall: You can provide a tough competition to cyber criminals by installing powerful firewalls.

Update Operating Systems: By updating your operating systems, you can stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

Backup Your Data: Given that your files, data, and important information are extremely important for your business, make sure you protect your business and save all the important data, information, and resources from hackers.

Hire a Cybersecurity Company: It is important to hire cybersecurity experts for the maintenance of the security system of your website.  Cybersecurity experts are equipped with the knowledge and experience to save your business from all cyber threats and even experienced hackers.

How Consumers Can Avoid Cyber Attacks

Given that Cyber Monday is a great time for consumers, hackers are able to attack vulnerable consumers quite easily. Here is how you can avoid cyber-attacks and get the best of Cyber Monday as well:

• Don’t shop from any unfamiliar retailers
• Always protect your password
• If you’re asked to provide too much information, don’t ever give that
• Always look for HTTPS lock symbol while purchasing online
• Don’t ever use public Wi-Fi, especially while purchasing online
• Check for the spelling mistake. For instance, a fake website can be Amaazon.com. It is a minor yet important thing to look for while purchasing online
• Don’t fall for any deal that is “too good to be true”
• Don’t use the password for sign up for any website that you have for your Gmail etc.
• Never install antivirus from a website link or code  

The Bottom Line

It is important to comprehend that you do not provide your important information to a fake website while hunting for amazing discount offers. Always shop from an authentic vendor and do not share too much personal information.

For more information on how to stay Cyber safe,  our blogs posts or contact SOS Support for a consultation.