As the holiday season gets into full swing, I’d be remiss if I didn’t continue to raise awareness about phishing scams, as they are so prevalent. Watch out for malicious links in your inbox, forums and social networks. Be vigilant and be realistic. Following what looks like an amazingly great deal may just get your device infected with malware.
Did you know that online criminals can poison search queries that lead you to a compromised website instead of your intended search result? They can! These generally target queries small enough to fly under the radar of the major search engines but large enough snare a lot of victims.
To reduce your risk, limit online transactions — purchases or donations — to reputable retailers and organizations that you know and trust. Avoid unfamiliar ones that may quickly vanish, taking your credit card information with them. Also, keep an eye out for typos in the domain name.
Make online purchases only when on a secured network. Free public Wi-Fi comes in handy, but the majority of these networks are not encrypted. To reduce your risk, limit your online activity to browsing only when on Wi-Fi.
When you’re ready to make your purchase, check for the security lock before and after your transaction. The browser bar should show https://. If it shows only http://, your session is not encrypted and your information may be at risk. The safest websites have moved away from the older SSL (secure sockets layer) protocol to the latest TLS (transport layer security) protocol.
After you’ve completed your purchase, always check your confirmation pages and receipts against your credit card billing statement. With the anticipated increase in seasonal orders, it’s easy to overlook a fraudulent transaction and have it slip by unnoticed.
A little note about shopping on mobile devices: While these devices are increasingly targeted by scammers, if you install apps from only reputable, trusted sources (as you should), the odds of getting malware are limited. Many retailers have built their own custom apps, which also limits risk.
With a little vigilance, you can avoid most problems and simply enjoy the ease and convenience of online shopping. One thing you can definitely count on is avoiding long lines!
Vincent Hoang is an enterprise architect at Hawaiian Telcom, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, GIAC Systems and Network Auditor, and Cisco Certified Network Professional. Reach him at vincent.hoang@hawaiiantel.com.
