In preparation for the holidays, consumers young and old are going online to research and purchase gifts. In the U.S. alone, shoppers are expected to spend $151 billion online this holiday season, up 14 percent from $133 billion in 2017.<\/p>\n
Black Friday (Nov. 23) and Cyber Monday (Nov. 26) are predicted to be the two busiest internet-inspired shopping days \u2013 generating close to a fifth (18 percent) of the season\u2019s revenue. In addition, sales will soar on mobile devices \u2013 accounting for an estimated 68 percent of e-commerce traffic.<\/p>\n
With so much holiday shopping taking place on connected devices, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) conducted new research to gauge Americans\u2019 gift giving plans, the confidence level into the security of their devices and other cyber habits. Some key findings include:<\/p>\n
\u2022 More than a third of respondents (34 percent) plan to purchase internet-connected devices this holiday.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Only 25 percent of respondents were \u201ccompletely confident\u201d that their devices, like their desktop computer, laptop or notebook, are free from viruses and malware.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Eighty percent of respondents state that they think it is \u201csomewhat to very important\u201d to keep systems and software up-to-date on their devices.<\/p>\n
When addressing how likely they are to keep systems and software up-to-date within the next month, 75 percent answered that they were \u201csomewhat to very likely\u201d to do so.<\/p>\n
During peak online periods, everyone needs to be extra careful and safeguard themselves against scammers, hackers and cybercriminals. It is critical to be aware of which simple, actionable steps to take to help protect highly personal data like credit card numbers and friends and family\u2019s addresses.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany shoppers will also be purchasing new computers as part of the year-end holiday buying frenzy. Once you get the perfect PC, it\u2019s important to keep your PC up-to-date so it is better protected,\u201d said Audrey Plonk, senior director of Public Policy, Intel Corp.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntel is working with the National Cyber Security Alliance and Microsoft to remind desktop and laptop computer owners of the importance of updating their systems when notified from their system manufacturer or operating system vendor. Having the latest system updates, security software, web browser and operating system is one of the best ways to help keep devices secure, protect data and deliver an amazing computing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe often are asked what simple steps folks can take to help themselves and their families stay safer and more secure online. Keeping software current is always at the top of the list,\u201d said Russ Schrader, executive director for NCSA. \u201cAs the shopping season kicks into full gear, we remind everyone to \u2018keep clean machines\u2019 and ensure that all their software and systems are updated.\u201d<\/p>\n
NCSA\u2019s top cyber safe shopping tips:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Lock down login: One of the most critical things you can do in preparation for the online shopping season is to fortify online accounts by enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as a unique one-time code through an app on mobile device. Usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, banking and social media.<\/p>\n
\u2022 When in doubt, throw it out: When everyone is busy and preoccupied with friends, festivities and holiday fanfare, links in emails, posts and texts are often the ways cybercriminals try to steal information or infect your devices.<\/p>\n
NCSA is a leading nonprofit, public-private partnership promoting cybersecurity and privacy education and awareness. NCSA works with a broad array of stakeholders in government, industry and civil society.<\/p>\n
For additional information, visit staysafeonline.org\/updatemeow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In preparation for the holidays, consumers young and old are going online to research and purchase gifts. In the U.S. alone, shoppers are expected to spend $151 billion online this holiday season, up 14 percent from $133 billion in 2017. Black Friday (Nov. 23) and Cyber Monday (Nov. 26) are predicted to be the two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n