14 DAY TRIAL // As part of its Tech Tuesday series, the FBI has published a series of recommendations for computer users who connect to the Internet for shopping, especially as the number of frauds targeting this group of people typically increases during the holiday season.
The 12-point online shopping post starts with the FBI recommending everyone to keep the device they use to go online, be it a computer or a mobile phone, always up-to-date. Device manufacturers and OS developers periodically release software updates to resolve vulnerabilities, including those being exploited in the wild, so patching is one easy way to prevent attacks.
Then, you shouldn’t by any means use public Wi-Fi for anything that involves private information.
“Put the cold freeze on using public WiFi. If you log on to unsecured wireless networks, you can put your private information out there for any grinch to steal,” the FBI explains.
Hackers have been using public Wi-Fi to track network traffic and eventually intercept sensitive information that is required for making a payment online.
Use more complex passwords for your online accounts
The FBI then goes on to recommend customers to look for signs of online fraud, stick with reputable sellers, use a credit card and not a debit card, if possible, to benefit from the extra protections and buy digital gifts from verified online merchants.
Of course, changing passwords and making them harder to crack should also be a priority. You can turn to password managers for this task, as there are plenty to choose from, including top names like Enpass that protects the data with a master password not stored anywhere and offers synchronization across devices.
Last but not least, the FBI recommends customers to keep an eye on their bank statements to look for unauthorized transactions and report any as soon as possible.