Safe online holiday shopping

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — families gearing up for the holiday season, bright-eyed shoppers making their lists and checking them twice…cybercriminals licking their chops and picking out victims. With online shopping increasing every year, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that Kaspersky Lab has also tracked increasing cybercriminal attacks, in particular during this busy shopping season.

When it comes to consumer and retail cybercrime, this time of year is actually no different than any other — except for volume. More shopping means more targets, and more targets make criminals salivate. Everyone should be on the lookout for possible phishing messages, for example, with links that you shouldn’t click on or unexpected attachments containing malware. As tempting as it may be to hop onto a free Wi-Fi hotspot to get in a bit of shopping, that’s one of the riskiest moves you can make. And — well, you’ll find those and more in the infographic that follows.

The world of online shopping is wonderfully convenient but also inherently risky. Still, forewarned is forearmed. Here are eight quick tips to help you get through it all safe and secure — chalking up any money missing from your bank account to indulgent spending, not canny criminals. Keep it handy and be of good cheer!