NEW
YORK — ‘Tis the season to be jolly — but it’s also the season for identity
theft, phishing and credit
card fraud.
With
Christmas just days away, people are using their smartphones and other devices
to get a handle on their last-minute shopping. Hackers are on the hunt as well,
looking to steal personal information from easy targets.
“People
just need to have their radar up, so that when they’re trying to get their
perfect gift to grandma’s house in time for Christmas day, they’re not clicking
on things they shouldn’t,” said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the
National Cyber Security Alliance.
You’d better watch out
Make
sure your phone’s operating system and all the apps you use to shop are up to
date. That way you’ll have the fixes for any recently discovered security
problems.
You
should also enable multi-factor authentication in the settings on your
important accounts. This is a security measure that requires you to enter a
temporary code in addition to your password when signing in; services often
text this code to your phone. It complicates life for hackers should they
somehow manage to get your password.
Improvements
in credit card fraud detection have pushed hackers to focus on stealing
legitimate login credentials, so adding an extra layer of protection to these
accounts is a must, says John Dickson with the cybersecurity firm Denim Group.
And
while some cybersecurity experts question the value of changing your password
frequently, Dickson says it’s not a bad idea this time of year.
“If
you had a New Year’s resolution to change your passwords, move that up by about
four weeks, because this is fraudster season,” Dickson says.
Santa (and hackers) are watching
Nobody
likes to dip into their mobile-data plan, but you might want to set aside a few
gigabytes for holiday shopping.
Signing
on to free Wi-Fi at a store or coffee shop can be risky. Hackers could be
lurking on the networks, ready to use that connection to steal credit-card
numbers or other personal information. If using free Wi-Fi, at least wait till
you get home to check your bank account balances, Kaiser said.
Feast of the phishes
Phishing
spikes during the holiday season. Emails that offer great deals on holiday
gifts or donation pitches from charities could actually be attempts to steal
your credit card or login information. Another popular trick: Fake emails
supposedly sent by online retailers or shipping companies.
Don’t
click on links in these emails, as they may lead you to a fake website that
looks legitimate. Instead, type in the company’s website directly.
Checking it twice (or more)
Shoppers
need to keep a close eye on their accounts. The easiest way to do this is to
use the same credit card for all of your holiday shopping. Avoid debit cards —
running up a credit card balance is one thing and can be challenged; draining
your life’s savings is another.
Use
different passwords for your various shopping accounts. That way if one is
compromised, it’s less likely that the others will fall to hackers as well.
Naughty or nice?
Websites
that advertise hot deals on popular or hard-to-find gifts are probably scams.
So are those touting free or deeply discounted gift cards. Stick with
e-commerce sites you know are real. Don’t click on web ads.
And
if something advertised on a website or social media looks too good to be true,
it probably is, said Brian Reed, chief marketing officer for ZeroFox, a
cybersecurity firm that focuses on social media.
Instead
of getting a great deal on a North Face jacket or a free iPhone, shoppers are
getting their money and personal information stolen.
Also
avoid apps that promise to generate gift card codes for various retailers, Reed
said. The apps can harm your device. And, if you manage to use a code, you’re
committing fraud.
Giving the gift of IOT
Internet-connected
gadgets — whether they be a “smart” thermostat, baby monitor or a talking toy —
will be under many trees this year.
But
the lack of security built into many of these devices is becoming an issue.
Experts worry that they could be used to breach a home or business network and
let hackers access another device that holds private information.
There’s
no way to tell from its box how secure any given gadget is, but an online
search could fill you in on previously reported problems.
Default
passwords should be changed right away, if possible. Do some research to
understand exactly what personal information the device is collecting and where
it’s being stored or sent.
Down
the road, make sure your smart devices get their security updates. That
includes your wireless router. If it’s an older model, you’re probably going to
need to get them from the manufacturer’s website. Newer models often send
updates through apps.
And
if your router is really old and not getting updates, you might want to add
that to your gift list.
“If
that’s your gateway and it’s not secure, then you’re allowing people to get
into all of the devices connected to it,” Kaiser said.
