January has arrived and what marks this month on a global scale are sales. During this time of the year people are taking the chance to buy what they’ve been looking for for a long time: a coat, a pair of trainers, a smart watch…
Whether it’s to avoid queuing, save time or simply to avoid the frustration from going to the shop and not finding what you were looking for, online shopping is the most popular shopping method in today’s society.
Shopping online has its pros and cons. That’s why we want to give you some tips on how to shop online safely during the 2024 sales.
What are the risks of so many sales in all kinds of sectors and shops?
The sales and the buying frenzy on the web during the sales season are becoming the best breeding ground for cybercrime these days.
The significant increase in online transactions is often exploited to deploy a whole arsenal of digital threats, which become more sophisticated year after year, including social engineering attacks, malware deployment and various scams.
Some of the most representative threats include the following:
- Phishing
Phishing manifests itself through fraudulent communications that fake legitimate companies. Such emails and text messages contain links or attached documents that, when opened, could result in the risk of personal and financial data being compromised. - Online scams
This threat comes in many different forms. From fictitious refunds to misleading sales, with the aim of stealing information or, directly, money. - Malware
Malware acts silently and can be devastating. This is because it involves compromising the devices of individuals and businesses, extracting digital assets without consent.
The risk of online shopping at specific time of the year
It has been proven that when specific times of the year arrive, such as the sales in this case, the online dangers are increased.
Sales days are days in which many more users (and we are not just talking about absolute numbers, but people who do not shop online during the rest of the year) make use of e-commerce.
Cybercriminals take advantage of this situation. They carry out strategies to try to trick users who may not have the appropriate knowledge to avoid falling into the trap. In addition, the more transactions there are, the more likely they are to succeed.
We will now discuss some of the dangers to which users are exposed when making an online payment.
Some of the dangers to which users are exposed
- Information saturation: The huge number of offers can lead to information saturation, making it difficult for consumers to really judge the quality of offers.
- Fake sales promotions: Some shops may pump up prices before sales and then offer discounts that are not as significant as they appear to be.
- Momentum buying: Time pressure and tempting offers can drive consumers to make impulse purchases without serious consideration.
Tips for safe shopping during 2024 sales
In Panda Security we are aware of how careful you have to be when shopping online, that’s why we want to give you some essential tips for this sale.
- Check the security of the website. Make sure that the website where you enter your credit card information is secure. Check that the URL begins with “https://” and look for a padlock icon in the address bar.
- Use secure payment methods. Making payments through payment platforms such as Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal are the most popular and safest options for consumers as they do not directly share card details with the merchant.
- Avoid using public networks. Avoid making card transactions over public Wi-Fi networks, as they may be less secure. Use secure and trusted connections.
- Monitor your transactions. Regularly review your statements for suspicious activity. If you find any unauthorized transactions, contact your bank immediately.
- Don’t store data on websites. Avoid letting websites save your card information, even if they offer the option. It is preferable to enter the data manually for each transaction.
Tools that Panda Dome offers to help you shop these special days without fear of losing data, money or trust in sites
Panda Dome is a security suite that offers several features to protect online shopping and ensure online security in general.
- Protection against malware and virus:
Panda Dome generally includes a powerful antivirus engine to detect and remove malware, viruses and other threats in real time, which is essential for security during online shopping.
- Safe browsing:
Features such as safe browsing or URL filtering can alert you to malicious and phishing websites, providing an additional layer of protection when transacting online.
- Firewall:
A personal firewall can block unauthorised access to your Internet connection, protecting your data and transactions during online shopping.
- Ransomware protection:
The ability to detect and block ransomware attacks is critical to ensuring that your files and data are secure while you transact online.
- Transaction security:
Some security suites, such as Panda Dome, may have specific features to protect online transactions, such as encrypting sensitive data during the checkout process.
- Parental control:
Families can find parental control functions useful to manage and monitor online activities, ensuring a safe environment for online shopping, especially for minors.
- Updates to all software:
The ability to automatically update is essential to keep up with the latest online threats.
- Password manager and two-factor authentication system:
You will be able to securely and easily manage all your passwords and keep your personal information safe.
Now you know the risks that can be found in these dates so marked by shopping as well as tips to avoid falling into these risks. In addition, having a security solution such as Panda Dome’s is a way to strengthen the safety of your devices and to browse and shop safely during the sales.