More than 165 million people are expected to shop Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the recent annual survey by the National Retail Federation. During the year’s busiest five-day shopping rush, opportunities abound for cybercrooks to scam both distracted shoppers and retailers. Use these tips to protect mobile devices this holiday season.
Stay off the radar
Wireless devices are ingrained into our daily lives, but this tech comes with often overlooked security risks. Mobile devices can be the weakest link in the security chain, and cybercrooks constantly create new ways to abuse unprotected devices and networks. Stay off the scammer’s radar by being cautionary using mobile devices on public networks or in heavily populated spaces, such as airports.
Keep cyberattacks off the shopping list.
Not on the list: Identity Theft. Protect mobile devices while shopping and traveling this holiday season.
- Turn WiFi and Bluetooth off when not in use.
- Switch it to Airplane mode if you think a device is compromised. This can help an actively-targeted device as it cannot connect/share with networks or other devices.
- Use discretion when using public WiFi. A device is visible, and vulnerable, even when connected to password-protected public WiFi.
- Avoid accessing bank accounts, making online purchases, or logging in to social accounts while using public WiFi. These activities increase risk of Identity Theft.
- Be careful when downloading apps. Look-alike app traps pop up around busy shopping seasons. These apps mimic big-name retailers and contain malware or ransomware.
- Nothing is free. Be wary of unsolicited emails or surveys that promise freebies for feedback. Check the URL before clicking. Trustworthy vendors conduct surveys that lead back to their official website, not an unknown or random site.
Protect your guests, and your operations.
Many retailers use Guest WiFi to captivate and entertain customers while gathering valuable insights. Unfortunately, vulnerable public WiFi is a tool scammers use to access private information over unsecured networks.
Retailers offering Guest WiFi benefit from partnering with a Hosted Solutions provider to ensure network security. With a hosted solution, you never have to worry about updates that keep your operations secure.
