Black Friday and Cyber Monday are peak times for online shopping—and for cyber threats.
A recent Sophos report revealed that malicious emails were the second most common cause of ransomware attacks, responsible for 25% of cases in critical sectors.
The risk increases as employees shop from work devices, potentially exposing organizations to phishing attacks and malicious links.
Tips to Protect Your Organization
1. Use an ad blocker
Ads track your habits and can expose you to malicious links. Ad blockers like uBlock Origin and Ghostery enhance security, speed up browsing, and reduce bandwidth usage.
2. Enable private browsing
Use private browsing (Firefox) or incognito mode (Chrome) to block tracking cookies. This prevents your shopping history from following you across sites and keeps your activities private from others who use your device.
Also Read: Quishing attacks: How hackers use QR codes to steal your company data
3. Install Privacy Badger
The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Privacy Badger extension automatically blocks invisible trackers, helping maintain your privacy while browsing.
4. Avoid using one account across services
Logging in with “Sign in with Facebook” or “Sign in with Google” shares your activity across platforms. Instead, create unique logins for better privacy.
5. Opt for guest login
When available, use guest login to reduce the amount of personal information shared. It’s ideal for one-time purchases and minimizes risks if the site is hacked.
Don’t save card details
E-commerce sites often save your credit card information by default. Decline this option to prevent potential data breaches.
6. Use temporary card numbers
Many financial institutions provide single-use or temporary credit card numbers. These limit fraud risks and allow you to set spending caps.
7. Shop with credit cards
Credit cards offer better protection against fraud compared to debit cards. In case of disputes, your bank account remains safe, and you can delay payments during investigations.
8. Be cautious with social media and chat apps
Avoid unsolicited direct messages, as generative AI makes it easy to create convincing fake stores. Stick to reputable sites or those recommended by trusted sources.
9. Avoid clicking on suspicious email deals
Ignore deals from unknown senders or offers that seem too good to be true. These are often phishing attempts designed to steal your information.
By taking these precautions, you can reduce risks during the holiday shopping season and protect your organization from cyber threats.
