How to Stay CyberSafe This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of year that brings many people joy, time with family and, of course, gifts. But it is also a boom time for cybercriminals waiting to take advantage of the increased shopping and travel that occurs during those months. In this installment of our recurring CyberSmart(er) series, we provide tips for staying cybersafe during the holiday season.

The Delivery Exception Scam

One of the products of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a notable shift from in-person shopping to home deliveries. Whether it be food, home essentials or gifts, most people began using delivery services more than they had before. This shift has bred a now prevalent type of imposter scam in which cybercriminals, pretending to be legitimate delivery services, target package recipients through faked emails, texts and sometimes physical delivery notices left on their doors. These faked messages typically present some issue or delay in your delivery to bait you into clicking a link or calling a number to confirm or provide information that resolves the issue. The criminals then use whatever information you provide or the unintentional access you have granted by clicking their link to compromise your device or steal your personal information.

How Can I Avoid this Scam?

Whether you are expecting a delivery or not, never click a link or call a number provided via text regarding an unexpected delivery issue.
To confirm the status of an expected delivery, always contact the delivery service or the sender of the package directly using a verified number or website.
Protect loved ones to whom you send packages by telling them the tracking number and the delivery service you used so that they can check the delivery status of the package directly through the service’s website.

Keeping Cybersecure During the Travel Season

The holidays are often the busiest travel days of the year, and this includes the weeks before and after. An important reminder while traveling is to be aware of the cyber threats that exist in public spaces like airports and hotels.

According to sources like Forbes and the Federal Communications Commission, there are steps you can take before you leave your home, while you are away and once you have returned from your travel to keep your devices safe.

Before Travel

Make sure you have cloud backup enabled, or back up important files and information from the devices you will travel with to a backup device at home.
Confirm your devices’ antivirus software is up to date to protect against any potential malware.
Turn off your devices’ auto and remote connect features to ensure they do not automatically connect to a malicious network while traveling.
Purchase a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wallet to block your banking cards from criminals’ skimmer devices that can scan your credit card information by simply hovering over your wallet or pocket.
Set up travel alerts with your banking institutions.

During Travel

Make sure your device is always locked when not in use.
Do not connect to public wireless networks unless it is necessary. If it is, use these methods:

Only use “https” or secure sites.
Download a VPN (a secure, private internet connection that hides online activities).
Do not access any sensitive data on your devices unless you know the network is secure.

Do not access sensitive information, such as banking and medical information, from a public computer.
Use a privacy screen or make sure people around you are not looking at your device.
Store devices in a hotel safe when possible and secure them when in public.

After Travel

Change passwords on any of your accounts you accessed during your travels as a precaution in case they were unknowingly compromised during your travels.
Monitor your bank accounts and credit file for any suspicious activity.
Remove travel alerts set up with your banking institutions.

How you use your devices can have a considerable influence on your cybersecurity, especially during the busy holiday season when ordering goods online and traveling are common. Be diligent so that you do not let cybercriminals steal your privacy and sensitive information…or your holiday spirit.