Four tips for staying safe on Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday 2024 saw

in sales. That surge in online shopping creates opportunities for cybercriminals to steal personal data through

phishing scams

and fraud. 

The risks are real. Nearly

of consumers experienced security breaches after shopping online.

According to the FBI, the Internet Crime Complaint Center receives a

during the early months of each year, correlating with holiday shopping scams. Both the FBI and CISA documented increased

ransomware attacks

on holidays and weekends.

Adding to concerns: a Bitwarden evaluation of the top five US e-commerce sites found

. Shoppers should approach websites cautiously.

1. Use a password manager

Password managers are one of the most effective tools for

. They help consumers generate and store unique passwords for each site, eliminating risky password reuse. Users only need to remember a master password.

Select providers with end-to-end encryption for vault items; this means the provider cannot access stored passwords. 

Password managers make it safer to navigate the online world, and anyone can get started with a

.

2. Use two-factor authentication

(2FA) requires two verification methods. After entering a password, users verify their identity via SMS, email, an authenticator app, or a security key. This makes account access significantly harder for criminals.

Authenticator apps and security keys offer stronger protection than SMS, but any 2FA is better than none.

3. Don’t click on unrecognizable links or attachments

Phishing attacks cost organizations an average of

per incident and account for

15% of all breaches

. Scammers use social engineering to trick users into clicking on malicious links or revealing information.

To protect yourself:

• Verify sender name and email address match the institution

• Hover over links to confirm the destination

• Avoid clicking links in general; they can be designed to deceive

• Call the institution directly if something seems off

• Never click attachments from unknown senders

4. Avoid public Wi-Fi for e-commerce transactions

Avoid public Wi-Fi for transactions; the purchase can wait until individuals have access to a much more secure network. As the

, there’s no guarantee public Wi-Fi is secure. 

Looking for even more suggestions to stay secure online? Check out the ‘

’ from CISA.

Ready to protect your accounts? Quickly set up a

, or keep your team protected online by initiating a

7-day free trial of our business plans

.