It's the Most Unsecure Time of the Year: Holiday Shopping Security Tips

It's the Most Unsecure Time of the Year HOLIDAY SHOPPING SECURITY TIPS The holiday season opens the door for eager cybercriminals to target more online shoppers than any other time of the year. Shoppers have to keep their guard up while looking for those perfect deals. So how do you stay safe while shopping online? Read on to find out. ONLINE HOLIDAY SHOPPING CONTINUES TO GROW Holiday retail sales for 2011 are estimated to increase 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion during the months of November and December. Let's look at how much the average American has spent since 2004 and will spend this holiday season. Average Holiday Spending by Year, 2004-2011 (Spending per person) $800 $751 $755 $735 $719 $700 $694 $704 $682 $700 $600 $500 $400 $300 $200 $100 $0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 CONSUMERS ARE SHOPPING ONLINE MORE THAN EVER 90 percent of consumers will shop online this year, using the Web to compare prices, research a product, or make a purchase. The average holiday online shopper will spend 22 percent more than the average holiday shopper who also shops in stores. SHOPPERS TURN TO SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS 70 percent of tablet owners will use their devices for holiday While many more will use their mobile devices to shopping this year. They are twice as likely to use tablets to purchase merchandise than smartphones. compare prices, redeem coupons, and read reviews, only 14 percent will make a purchase on their smartphone and 35 percent will make a purchase on their tablet, 14% 35% 70% TOP ONLINE SPENDING DAYS Cyber Monday was the busiest online shopping day in 2010 and generated $1+ billion. (Spending in millions) MON 29 Nov. 29 (Cyber Monday): $1,028 13 Dec. 13 (Green Monday): $954 Dec. 17 (Free Shipping Day): | 17 • $942 *Non-travel (retail) spending, 2010 holiday season 8 ONLINE SHOPPING TIPS For the millions of shoppers expected to shop online this holiday season, the following security tips will help keep your transactions and information safe and out of the hands of cybercriminals. TRUSTE , Look for third-party seals of approval, such as a Better Business Don't shop on public At a minimum, use a firewall and antivirus software to protect your computer prior to shopping online. Only shop from secure sites with SSL certificates. The Web address will start with https:// and have a little padlock icon. Wi-Fi networks. Bureau or TRUSTE symbol. Policies FREE TV! ********** Shop with a credit card-using a debit card online puts your checking and savings Always create strong passwords for all online accounts and include letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep an eye out for deals that are too good to be true and avoid opening links or popups that encourage you to click for "special promotions." Before making a purchase, read the fine print that details retailers' privacy policies and warranty information. account at risk if the information is stolen. A ZONEALARM SOURCES: COMSCORE.COM, SHOP.ORG, NRFCOM, TECHNET.COM, PRICEGRABBER.COM by Check Point"