Online shopping during the holiday season continues to grow in popularity. In 2018, Cyber Monday sales reached an estimated $7.9 billion in the US and many experts believe sales will be even higher this year.
At the same time, criminals and hackers continuously devise new schemes to compromise computers, steal passwords, and trick you into revealing valuable information (personal, financial, etc.) to get your money.
Keep these tips in mind to help protect yourself from identity theft and other malicious activity while shopping and browsing online during this holiday season:
Secure your home Wi-Fi
To thwart eavesdroppers and data thieves, enable strong encryption on your home wireless network. Make sure you control administrative access to your home network, and that all users are required to sign in with a strong password before connecting.
Zoom internet now comes with enhanced Wi-Fi, which provides advanced security and gives you total control of your Wi-Fi network. Learn more here: http://armstrongonewire.com/Internet/Index
Keep your devices up to date and virus free
Be sure your computer and mobile devices are current with all operating system and application updates. Anti-virus/anti-malware software should be installed, running, and receiving automatic updates.
Armstrong customers can download Trend Micro – Maximum Security FREE with their Zoom internet subscription. Learn more here: http://armstrongonewire.com/Internet/InternetSecurity
Don’t respond to pop-ups
If a window pops up promising you cash, bargains, or gift cards in exchange for answering a survey or other questions, close it. Don’t respond. Similarly, don’t respond to popups indicating you need to purchase anti-virus software to “clean your infected computer”. These are all scams.
Be alert to impersonators
Make sure you know who is getting your personal or financial information. Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or know who you’re dealing with. If a company that claims to have an account with you sends email asking for personal information, don’t click on links in the email. Instead, type the company name into your web browser, go to their website, and contact them through customer service. Or, call the customer service number listed on your account statement. Ask whether the company really sent a request.
Armstrong will never ask for personal or account information via email. If you receive a suspicious e-mail that asks for your Armstrong account information, please forward that email to abuse@zoominternet.net . Rest assured that Armstrong's network engineers will review every submission and take appropriate steps to safeguard its customers.