Cybersecurity officials urge data protection amid online holiday shopping
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — If you plan to shop online this holiday season – are you protecting your data from cyber criminals? While you don’t have to worry about your wallet being snatched when you’re shopping online, you do need to watch out for cybercriminals when it comes to your data.
“Data’s pretty much any information that you have that can be transferred or used to identify you,” said LeWayne Bullard, the owner of UR Tech Now, a computer service and IT business in Murfreesboro.
📧 Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →
During the 2022 holiday shopping season the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center received reports from almost 12,000 victims reporting non-payment/non-delivery scams. This after criminals targeted online shoppers and sellers, which resulted in over $73 million in losses.
“So, the thing with data, a lot of people may understand what data is, but they don’t understand how it gets transferred and how it can be harmful when they’re shopping online. For instance, if you have your credit card information stored online and someone came across that, they could take your credit card information they don’t necessarily need the card, they just need the number,” said Bullard.
Tennessee’s 5 biggest scams of 2023: How you can avoid falling for them
Many shopping sites will store your credit card information. While this may be convenient, it could open the door for fraudsters to use your sensitive details. But there are ways you can protect your data, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Secure your devices by keeping your security software, internet browser, and operating system updated.
Secure your accounts with strong passwords….Specifically those with personal info like your bank account.
Choose security questions only you know the answers to.
Cyber professionals urge you to take these precautions and more sooner rather than later.
“When you go to buy something online, I would make sure that the website you’re going to is encrypted. It will tell you at the top of your browser if it’s encrypted so when you go to put your information in it will tell you how they’ve had it encrypted. Me personally, I prefer using things like Apple Pay and Google Pay because it doesn’t have anything that ties back to you,” said Bullard.
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
“It’s like anything, it never happens to you until it does and then when it happens to you, are you ready for it,” said Bullard.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
