How to grab a bargain in the sales without the risks!

Guest post from Simon Ellson.

It’s that time of year again! The Boxing Day sales have begun and if you’re anything like me, then you’re probably sat back in your armchair, avoiding the queues and cold by finding the best bargains online. But just because you’re protected from the elements, doesn’t mean that you’re protected from cybercriminals.

This Boxing Day, cybercriminals will be looking for their own discounts. And our mission? We need to take steps to ensure that it’s not our possessions that they’re getting cheap!

So, here are my 5 tips for keeping your stuff safe this Boxing Day:

  1. Always remember that if it’s too good to be true, it usually is – We all love a bargain and cybercriminals know this as well. Don’t fall for the cheap price tag – as free or discounted goods could end up being really costly. So if you’ve found the latest hot designer shoes, but for a tenth of the price, regardless of how nice they may be for your office Christmas party, they’re probably not real. Cybercriminals are experts at creating websites and making them look identical to your favourite brand sites. I therefore recommend that you only shop at reputable online sites and avoid getting your credit card scammed.
  2. Beware of fake website links – Don’t try and save vital sales shopping time by clicking on links in an email which appear to take you to your favourite online store. Instead make sure you type the store’s address straight into your browser. This will help prevent you from becoming a victim of a phishing attack. Phishers use fake versions of voucher deals to get their victims to a fake version of your favourite shop’s website. Once you’re there they can steal your passwords, log-in details, credit card information, or even your whole identity.
  3. Be suspicious – Even big brands can become victims of cybercrime attacks. Use Norton’s free online tool called Norton Safe Web which identifies and warns you about dodgy sites before you click on them in search results.
  4. Protect your bank details – Always look out for the ‘padlock’ icon at the bottom of the browser frame when making a payment online. This symbol indicates that the website you are visiting uses encryption to protect you, so cybercriminals cannot capture your personal information. Never let a website ‘remember’ your credit card details, always retype them if you want to shop there again.
  5. Check your statements – Always check your credit card statements as often as possible to look out for unexpected transactions. Everyone splurges at Christmas and impulse buys in the sales. It is therefore important to keep an eye on your card transactions. This also lets you know who is using your card and allows you to spot problems before they become difficult to resolve. Also, credit card companies offer consumer protection and if you get in touch with them they will work with you to manage any disputed or unauthorised charges.

    December 26, 2011 | Filed Under Family Online Safety, Identity theft, Security | Leave a Comment 

    Stay safe this Christmas…

    Guest post from Simon Ellson.

    With just a few days left until Christmas, the excitement of gift shopping is in full swing. But it’s not just our loved ones that have a Christmas wish list, criminals do too. For a criminal in the ‘real’ world this list will most probably consist of smart phones, tablets, laptops etc. But for cybercriminals, the ideal Christmas present is your hard earned cash.

    So, stay safe this Christmas by following Norton’s three simple steps:

    1. Be smart with your passwords – Use a complex password for each online account you have and update your passwords regularly. Strong passwords use a mixture of numbers, symbols, and letters in upper and lower case, such as “Ru1)oLp1-1”. It doesn’t need to be a real word – just something that you’ll remember. Don’t choose the obvious and be creative.
    2. Organise your online shopping – Set up an email account specifically to deal with online shopping. Provide as little information as possible to get the account set-up and don’t use it for anything else such as online banking, business correspondence or family matters. Plus, it will help keep the presents you bought a surprise from any prying eyes!
    3. Check that your antivirus software up-to-date? Cybercriminals are more sophisticated than ever before and they’ll jump on any social trend to spread malware and steal your personal details. Security software from a recognised name such as Norton is the best and safest option when it comes to stopping malicious software from installing on your PC.  Surf the Internet safely with up-to-date, comprehensive security software, such as Norton Internet Security 2012.

    December 21, 2011 | Filed Under Family Online Safety, Security | Leave a Comment 

    Five tips for staying safe on social networks

    Guest Post from Deborah Preston, Norton Online Safety Advisor

    As social networking sites continue to receive criticism about their privacy settings, it struck me that it’s not just the social networks that should be responsible for our online safety and privacy, we should all be! As users of the site, we should all be aware of the security products and settings that we can use to protect what we post online and our to protect our identities.

    Away from the virtual world, we wouldn’t expect someone else to look after our purse, wallet, handbag or house keys. Why should we then expect others to do this for us online? Why is it that when it comes to the virtual world, we rely on, and believe that, others will protect our online persona better than we would?

    Throughout 2011, the popularity of social networking sites has increased. This is a trend that will continue in 2012. We therefore have a responsibility to ourselves and our families, of protecting our online lives and assets, like we do in our real world. Similarly, we need to ensure our children know how to protect themselves, just how we would in real life.

    My top five tips for keeping yourself and your children safe online and on social networking sites are:

    1. Openly talk to your kids about social networking sites. Ensure that your whole family is familiar with and understand the security settings that are available to them. Also remember to talk to them about any changes/updates that are made to a social network’s privacy settings.

    2. Limit the amount of personal information that you post on social networking sites. Don’t feel obliged to share your birth year as well as your birthday. A birthday should suffice as this hides your actual age and makes it more difficult for ID fraud. Yet you still receive ‘Happy Birthday’ messages! If you are using a location based social network, check your setting and make sure that it is only your family and friends that can see your activity.

    3. Be wary of third party applications and avoid applications that seem suspicious. Always modify your settings to limit the amount of information the applications can access and don’t forget to revisit security settings each time you add an application.

    4. Use strong passwords. When setting passwords use of mix of numbers, letter and symbols. Also, be creative and change your passwords regularly.

    5. Keep software, particularly your web browser, up-to-date and always use a reliable internet security product.

    December 12, 2011 | Filed Under Family Online Safety | Leave a Comment