Cybersecurity Tips for the Holiday Season

The holiday shopping season kicks off with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This can be a busy time for many businesses and shoppers. As more people start getting their wish lists in order and take to the web for the latest deals, it’s important to use precautions to protect against cyber hacks. 

Whether you are a shopper or a business, DRO Insurance values your safety. We want to make sure that you are prepared for your holiday shopping season.

Holiday Cyber Safety Tips for Shoppers:

• Shop securely: Look out for websites that do not have an encrypted or secure domain. Avoid shopping on these sites and entering your payment information. If you make an online purchase, make sure that you aren’t saving your financial information. If the site automatically saves it, go back in and remove your stored information.

• Do not give payment information to suspicious websites: Avoid giving your payment information to a website or ad that looks spammy. For instance, if you are led to a page or website that is not secure, has many typos, poor formatting, or check out information portals that are not secure, you should head elsewhere. 

• Avoid using public wi-fi when completing purchases: Try to steer away from using public Wi-Fi and hotspot connections when making purchases. This can make it easier for hackers to retrieve your financial information.

• Keep an eye on your financial accounts: Pay closer attention to your financial accounts during the holidays. If you notice any suspicious payments or withdrawals, you can contact your financial institution before it gets out of hand.

Holiday Cyber Safety Tips for Businesses:

• Use strong passwords: Always use strong passwords on your devices and accounts as the first line of defense. 

• Do not connect work devices to a public internet connection: When dealing with sensitive information it’s important that you only use secure internet connections. Public Wi-Fi connections are more susceptible to hacking.

• Use multi-factor authentication: Using multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a great additional layer of security for your devices. This will double down on security efforts by requiring two or more additional pieces of information for you to log in.

• Use antivirus software: Make sure that your company devices are equipped with software to defend against malware. Use antivirus protection as well as encrypted browsers, and secure emails when dealing with sensitive information. Also, ensure that all of your software and applications are up-to-date.

• Follow company cybersecurity standards and train employees: Have best practices in place at your business to ensure that all employees are trained and up to speed with their cybersecurity efforts.

Dayton Ritz + Osborne Insurance has the right policies and coverages to protect your business from cybersecurity hacks. Our cyber risk policy can help to protect your business assets in the event of a cyber breach. As a business owner, making sure you understand where your liability falls is imperative. For more information on our commercial insurance policies, give us a call at 631-324-0420.

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