The Ultimate Guide to Protecting Yourself During the Holiday
The Holidays are Here!
The holiday season is coming up, and you know what that means! That’s right: shopping. But, as much as
we all love shopping, we still need some defensive tactics to protect ourselves from all the bad-faith
actors out to get us while we get our holiday shopping done.
What is Black Friday?
In the US, Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving and is known pretty much for the absolute
shopping extravaganza that takes place on the day. In fact, Black Friday (also sometimes called Dark
Friday) is the biggest retail day of the year and marks the start of the annual Christmas shopping season.
What is Cyber Monday?
That brings us to Cyber Monday! Riding on the coattails of Black Friday, it takes place on the Monday
right after the Thanksgiving weekend. Cyber Monday started fairly recently as the online shopping boom
grew, and retailers usually encourage online purchases on this day.
Cyber Security Tips for Holiday Shoppers
Unfortunately, the holiday season is perfect for scammers and hackers to rise and take advantage of the
excitement around shopping to try and get their own benefits out of it. Here are some cyber security
tips to follow:
Never share your card information over email, text, or phone, even if it’s coming from a
‘retailer.’
Avoid using debit cards.
Change your account passwords after you’re done shopping - especially with a larger retailer
since these are much more prone to hacks and breaches.
Use only trusted websites for making purchases.
Never use public Wi-Fi to make an online purchase.
Always check the site’s security certificate (the little lock icon at the top) to make sure the site is
secure before you make any financial transactions.
Of course, cyber security, in general, involves a lot more, but these are some crucial holiday shopping
safety tips to keep you safe during the holiday shopping season.
How to Avoid Identity Theft this Holiday Season?
Another major consideration is the fact that identity theft is also fairly common around this time of the
year. The first step to identity theft prevention would be the basics: diversify your passwords, use multi-
factor authentication, and keep an eye on your credit. You don’t want to end up as a fraud victim!
To prevent identity theft, you should also avoid sharing your information as much as possible. Every site
will want you to sign up, but try to stick to a few trusted ones only and make your purchases there.
How to Keep Yourself Safe When Shopping in Person
Unfortunately, shopping in person comes with risks too. Keep your things as close to your body as
possible - especially your purse and wallet. Don’t take out money or cards unless you are required to,
and try to limit your purchases to only one card.
Also, make sure to hold on to your receipts and watch your card bills! You never know what foul play
could be happening amidst the chaos.
It’s essential to keep yourself safe during the holiday shopping season, and by following these tips, you
can make sure to protect yourself.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us at service@tacticaltrashpandas.com
