COLORADO SPRINGS — According to Security Magazine, a hacker attack occurs every 39 seconds. And due to the extra internet traffic on Cyber Monday, this statistic is expected to increase today and through the holidays.
5News spoke with Thomas Russell, an expert at the National Cybersecurity Center. He offered several tips that will help keep you safe while browsing. Thomas says never use your Facebook or any other social media account to create a profile to purchase items. While this may be convenient, it simply gives out your data and puts you at an elevated risk of being hacked. You should also make sure you create a separate email account for online shopping, and if possible, browse on an old computer designated for online purchases only.
“When you consolidate all of your online purchases with a separate email, a separate computer, and a separate credit card, you are really going a long way on protecting yourself, and if you add a VPN on top of that, you’ll probably going to have safe holiday shopping,” said Thomas.
“Make sure that these websites are secure. So, when you see the HTTPS, make sure that “S” at the end of it means that this is going to be a secure site. Do not ever purchase anything that’s not from a secure site.”
Thomas suggests getting a VPN, this virtual private network separates you from a public internet connection. Having a VPN on your device helps to protect your data and browsing habits.
For more tips on how you can protect yourself while shopping, visit here.
If you have any questions or need advice:
National Cybersecurity Center
3650 N Nevada Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
719-255-5225
AARP Colorado
Phone: 1-866-554-5376 (toll-free)
Email: coaarp@aarp.org
