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 

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