Holiday Cybersecurity Tips

Happy Holidays and 'tis the season for online shopping. Attackers work hard to obtain your financial and personal information during the holiday shopping season. Here are some Tips to keep your Holidays safe and enjoyable now and in the future.

Don't use public Wi-Fi

• Public Wi-Fi is not secure and does not protect your sensitive data.
• Disable auto-connect on your mobile devices. If your mobile phone or tablet automatically connects to wireless networks or Bluetooth, disable those features and connect manually.

Shop Safely

• Only shop from sites that are legitimate, well-known, and secure. Ensure the sites have SSL protection or have a "lock" (padlock symbol) in the URL. The "lock" symbol means that the information between your browser and server is encrypted.
• The URL should begin with "HTTPS." Avoid making payments on sites that start with "HTTP."

Be Wise with your Payments

• It is safer to use credit cards because of the protections offered. Another option is third-party payment services like Apple pay, Google Pay, or Paypal.

Be Wary of Emails

• Take time to think before you click and take any action.
• Do not open emails right away. Check who sent the email. 

Strengthen Passwords 

• A complex, longer password or passphrase will better protect from brute force attacks. The minimum password length should be twelve characters for most accounts. A size of sixteen or above is recommended for banks or medical systems. Here is an example of making a password or passphrase unique and complex. 
  • B3S@f3Th1sH0l1d@y!

Monitor Your Accounts

• Review your accounts for suspicious transactions, especially during the holiday season. Also, turn on email and text alerts that financial institutions now offer.