Holiday Cyber Safety: Tips for Secure Shopping and Protecting Your Network
The holiday season is in full swing, and while we’re all rushing to check off our shopping lists, it’s easy to overlook one crucial detail: cybersecurity. With more people than ever turning to online shopping, staying safe in the digital world is as important as finding the perfect gift. Whether you’re making purchases online, hosting guests, or unwrapping new tech gadgets, protecting your personal information and home network should be a top priority. Here are a few simple tips to help keep your holiday season cyber-safe and worry-free.
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without the hustle of holiday shopping – and with more people turning to online stores to check off their lists, cybersecurity should be at the top of yours. Start by ensuring that you’re shopping on secure websites; look for “https” in the URL and a padlock symbol next to it. Public Wi-Fi might seem convenient for shopping when you’re on the go, but it’s also a hacker’s playground, so stick to private connections or use a virtual private network (VPN) for extra security. Be cautious of phishing emails and fake deals—scammers often use the holiday rush to trick people into providing sensitive data. A good rule to keep in mind is, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Finally, enable two-factor authentication on your accounts to add an extra barrier of protection. With these quick tips, you can keep your holiday shopping merry and stress-free.
Staying cyber-safe doesn’t stop with holiday shopping, though! If you’re planning on having guests in your home for the holidays, there are simple steps you can take to protect your home network and connected devices. When guests bring their devices into your home and connect to your Wi-Fi, you never know what kind of data or malware those devices could unwittingly introduce into your network. Setting up a guest network is an easy way to isolate guest devices from your own. If you’re a Cumberland Connect subscriber, you can easily set up a guest network through the CCFiber SmartIQ app. You can even schedule the guest network to only be active during the period your guests are staying in your home.
Finally, as new connected devices fill your stockings, keeping them secure should be a priority. You may already use antivirus for devices like computers, but how do you protect other devices that can’t be covered by traditional antivirus? Cumberland Connect has a simple solution with ProtectIQ, part of our Peace of Mind Package. When you subscribe to the Peace of Mind Package, your network automatically gains a network-level layer of security that covers all connected devices on your network. This includes devices like smart assistants, smart doorbells, cameras, and baby monitors that can’t be protected by traditional antivirus. ProtectIQ detects threats and intrusions on your network and can quarantine them before they can reach a connected device. If a device infected with malware enters your home, ProtectIQ can also help stop this device from sending the malware to other devices on your network. We still recommend that you use antivirus on compatible devices, but ProtectIQ gives you extra peace of mind that your entire network is covered during the holiday season and beyond.
By following these tips and utilizing tools like Cumberland Connect’s ProtectIQ, you can enjoy the holidays with peace of mind, knowing your personal information and devices are protected. As you wrap up your holiday shopping and enjoy time with loved ones, make sure your cybersecurity is wrapped up, too—because staying safe online is the best gift you can give yourself this season.
