Innovative Network Systems, Inc. (INSI) aims to keep our Atlanta consumers safe this season with six Holiday Shopping Cybersecurity Tips.
Scammers, Bah Humbug!
Thanksgiving and Christmas bring a special kind of cheer filled with family, parties, and selfless acts of giving. But while we dig deep into our pockets to give to others, scammers are gearing up to steal your Christmas joy. As always, INSI wants to protect you by giving you the knowledge you need to battle cybercriminals. So, we put together six tips to spot and stop cyber thieves before they can take advantage of you.
Holiday Cybersecurity Tip 1: Use Our Travel Tips for Public WiFi
In October, we published cybersecurity tips for traveling that explain how your work environment protects your system and data with firewalls, backups, and surge protectors. However, in public, your device is as fallible as your connection to the Internet. That’s why using a public WiFi can be very dangerous, and you should ensure your device is hardened and free of sensitive information.
Holiday Cybersecurity Tip 2: Check for SSL Certificate Before You Buy
An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that verifies the identity of a website and enables an encrypted connection. There are two ways to tell if a company has an SSL certificate: a padlock symbol or HTTPS before the website name. A non-SSL site will show HTTP. If it is not an SSL site, we advise you against putting any sensitive contact or financial information on their website.
Holiday Cybersecurity Tip 3: Don’t Click on Links
If they haven’t already, holiday discounts and offers will soon flood your mailbox for goods and services. Unfortunately, many of these emails may be phishing scams in disguise. Phishing has been the number one source of malicious malware in the last several years. Even if you are familiar with the company, it is best to go directly to its website with your browser rather than to click on an unknown link.
Holiday Cybersecurity Tip 4: Use Strong Passwords
Be extra careful with your passwords. Many people set very obvious and easily guessable passwords. These can include their names or surnames, those of their pets or family members, and other information that would be obvious, such as birth year, month, or date. Setting strong passwords on your devices will make it harder for hackers to guess them. It is also advisable to select a different password for each app. This way, if one password is discovered, the hacker or the thief won’t get easy access to all your information. We recommend long passwords, with symbols, numbers, and not a regular word that is easy to guess.
Holiday Cybersecurity Tip 5: Don’t Save Your Information
Many sites will ask if you want to save your credit card information for future purchases. We suggest you don’t do this. You never know how secure the retailer or service provider is, and even the most prominent retailers have been hacked at one point or another.
Holiday Cybersecurity Tip 6: Lock Your Credit
It is best to lock your credit if you are not planning on borrowing any credit soon. You can use many services to do this, like Experian, and you can unlock it anytime. This way, you only leave tiny windows open when someone can open an account in your name.
Summary
INSI hopes you have a safe and secure holiday season with your friends and family. We hope these cybersecurity tips will keep your wallet and identity safe too!
About INSI, The Best IT Support Provider in Atlanta
For over 25 years, Innovative Network Systems (INSI) has offered an integrated IT support and cybersecurity approach for small and medium-sized businesses in the Atlanta area. Our 100% local, college-educated, and experienced engineers provide a range of services from basic monitoring to fully Managed IT services. The INSI Customized-IT support model gives their clients the exact level and type of service they want while also providing greater accountability and reduced ongoing IT support costs. INSI options include cloud, cybersecurity, backups, cabling, wireless, business phones, strategic IT planning, and much more.
Contact INSI to reach the best MSP in Atlanta: 770-387-2424, option 2.
About the Author
Deborah Frazier is the author of IT Outsourcing Secrets – A Small Business Guide to Compare IT Support Companies. With nearly 20 years of experience consulting small and medium-sized businesses on their IT support needs, she brings a wealth of knowledge to INSI as Head of Marketing and Sales. If you like this article and would like to get notified when a new article is posted, click here
