It's the most wonderful time of the year..for cyber attacks

It's the most wonderful time of the year.. for cyber attacks.

The holidays are a time of joy, peace, and let's face it - a lot of online shopping.

It's the time when millions of people get excited about buying new things online—and that excitement can make us forget to be vigilant about the security threats lurking in cyberspace.

To protect yourself and your loved ones from cyber attacks during the holiday season, it's important to be aware of the most common types of attacks and how to prevent them. Some of the most common cyber attacks during the holiday season include phishing scams, malware attacks, and online shopping scams.

Phishing scams  

You have to be living under a rock not to be aware of Phishing scams. They are an extremely common way for hackers to gain access to your personal information.

Phishers create these fake emails and websites to trick you into giving them your personal information—like account numbers, passwords, PII, and more—by pretending to be a legitimate source. The dead giveaway, most of the times, is the urgency associated with such scams: like a ticking clock for a "once-in-a-lifetime" deal, or an emergency funds transfer request by a vendor or a family member.

These scams often ask for personal or financial information, and if you provide it, the hackers can use it to steal your identity or access your accounts. To avoid falling victim to a phishing scam, be wary of any unsolicited emails or texts, especially if they ask for personal or financial information. If you receive an email or text from a company or organization that you do not recognize, do not click on any links or download any attachments.

BEC holiday-themed attacks  

Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are the also one of the biggest cyber threats during the holidays. The FBI reported that more than $30 million has been stolen from U.S.-based businesses since October 2018.

If you think your business email is secure, think again.

BEC is a highly effective scam that relies on highly on social engineering, and with so many people traveling over the holidays, there's no shortage of opportunities for scammers to make off with a lot of cash quickly and easily.

It's important for everyone to be aware of BEC scams and their dangers so they can take steps toward protecting themselves from becoming victims—it only takes one person in your company to get tricked into giving away all of your personal information away. Make sure that your employees are trained about such attacks and you have dependable email security in place.

Malware attacks

Malware attacks involve hackers installing malicious software on your device, which can allow them to access your data. Malware can be spread through email attachments, websites, and even apps.

To protect yourself against malware attacks, be sure to keep your software and operating system up to date, and only download apps and programs from trusted sources.

Online Shopping Scams

Online shopping scams involve hackers setting up fake websites or online stores that appear legitimate, but are actually designed to steal your personal and financial information. To avoid falling victim to an online shopping scam, be sure to only shop on reputable websites and check for secure payment options, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption.

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