Secure your shopping experience this holiday season

Besides deciding how much you have to spend on shopping this holiday 
season, you should also think about the best ways to protect those funds. ackers are anticipating all of the financial information they can pilfer from unsuspecting shoppers just like shoppers are anticipating all of the deals they’ll be scoring. Fortify your cards and the bank or credit accounts they’re linked to and keep yourself from becoming another holiday statistic.

Online Shopping Tips

Before you sit down and do all of your online shopping, see if your bank or credit card company offers a 16-digit, one-time virtual credit card number. What’s great about this option is that even if someone gets ahold of the number, they won’t be able to use it. Even better, there are some companies that let you decide when you can use the number and how much you can use it for, making it easier for you to get everything you need with a single purchase.

It’s also a good idea for you to check to see if there are updates available for any malware or virus protection software you’re using before you start shopping. When you are ready to make an online purchase, take a moment to make sure the website URL starts with “https” and that there’s a small lock icon in the address bar. This ensures the site is safe and properly protected.

While it’s tempting and easier to use the same password for all of your online accounts, doing so can be a liability. If someone gets ahold of your password, they’ll have access to each and every one of your accounts. At the very least you should change your email password before shopping online, that way you can easily reset all of your other accounts should they become compromised.

Offline Shopping Tips

See if your credit card provider offers a smart card before you head out to brick-and-mortar stores this year. What’s unique about these cards is that they have a special chip inside of them that protects your data. Even better, smart chips are difficult to copy, which isn’t always the case with traditional magnetic strip cards.

If you can help it, try not to use your debit card while you’re out shopping. Debit cards don’t have the same level of protection as credit cards, and what’s more is that a thief can completely drain your bank account in mere minutes, leaving you with nothing but zeros in your account until you can resolve the matter.

Even if your credit card provider doesn’t have a smart card, it might offer a one-time credit card you can use. While these cards are usually reserved for online use only, you may be able to use one at a brick-and-mortar store if the card can be accessed on a mobile app. To use the card in the store, all you’ll need to do is type the number into the register. There could also be a barcode that can be scanned. Just make sure you ask if the store is set up to accept this type of payment before you head out.

Leave no security tactic unturned this and every other holiday shopping season. You never know when a new hacking technique or cyber attack will crop up, and you don’t want to become one of the first victims.