Although Cyber Monday has nothing to do with American ‘Thanksgiving’ tradition (no robot turkeys please!), it has been one of the most sought after dates for shoppers. A successor to the infamous Black Friday sale, Cyber Monday is one of the biggest online shopping festivals across Europe, Japan, U.K., UAE and the Americas. Making its debut during the 2005 holiday season, the average spending on Cyber Monday shopping reached a whopping $3 Billion in 2015. A figure that will certainly be overpowered this year.
Nevertheless, since most of you would be shopping online, it is also important to keep any potential cybersecurity threats at bay. With more than half the world shopping on the internet, these shark-like cybercriminals will certainly be on the prowl. Therefore, it is important that you take your cybersecurity seriously before you make any online purchases this Cyber Monday.
Things to Do
- Plan in Advance – Making a list of things you’re looking for is much better than window shopping, especially when it’s Cyber Monday. This would not only keep your online activity more streamlined, but would also give you time to research the best deals. No one’s stopping you from exploring something outside the list, but grabbing the essential things first is always considered a great shopping strategy.
- Check Internet Connection – This might sound a little foolish to some, but you do not want to experience unexpected crashes or slowdowns while shopping online. Slow internet can be a major problem this day and can make you lose out on great deals.
- Invest in Internet Security Beforehand – As you’d be one of the billion people shopping online on Cyber Monday, it would be worthwhile to have a reliable internet security in place. Huge numbers of online shoppers also make them a fat target for hackers and cybercriminals who could infiltrate your finances. Do not wait to buy an internet security software on discount. Have it in place before you start using the internet on Cyber Monday.
- Collect Promo Codes in Advance – Collecting promotional codes before you begin shopping will certainly save time. As products quickly fly out of shelves on Cyber Monday, it is better to keep any discount coupons or promotional codes handy for faster checkout. Promotional codes are usually listed on the website, but you could also check other websites for a comprehensive list of various promotional codes.
- Timing Is the Key – It is common for cyber Monday deals to be only for a limited amount of time. Early bird gets the worm and so is the case with Cyber Monday shopping. The best discounts are usually availed by morning shoppers all thanks to these limited time promotions.
- Mobile Shopping – It is common for dedicated shopping apps for mobile devices to offer better discounts. Mobile app users get special discounts and offers such as free shipping and cashback deals, which aren’t available to conventional online shoppers.
What Not to Do
- Don’t Use Public Wi-Fi – Do you ever leave your cash in the open? If not, then there’s no reason why you should even try online shopping over public Wi-Fi. Since these networks can be easily compromised by hackers, they could become a major loophole from where your financial information could be exposed. Always used secure and trusted networks for online shopping.
- Don’t Shop from Suspicious Websites – Always purchase from trusted and reputed websites, especially on cyber Monday. It is common for hackers to set up dummy websites to lure in gullible shoppers looking for great cyber Monday deals. This could not only make you lose your money, but could also expose your sensitive financial information to these criminals.
- Don’t Restrict Yourself to Featured Deals – There might be a chance that several featured deals on Cyber Monday include leftovers from Black Friday. Therefore, sticking to just the featured deals with flashy promotions would certainly inhibit you from finding a great product at the right price.
- Don’t Use Simple Passwords – Most shopping websites require you to register an account and choose a password. While this cannot be avoided for most websites, make sure that you do keep a strong password. As your account could also have your bank information and credit card details, a strong password is the last resort against any hacking attempts.
- Avoid Sites That Ask to Install Software – There are several sites that ask you to install a special software to make shopping smoother. In reality, such software can put your personal and financial information at risk and could also indicate possible phishing activities. It is best to steer clear from such websites.
- Don’t Blindly Trust Deals from Social Media – Social media sites such as Facebook and twitter run rampant with various shopping offers and discount deals on Cyber Monday. But not all of them should be trusted as several might direct you to infected landing pages, putting your cyber security at risk.
Who doesn’t like shopping especially when most items are up for grabs. But such shopping festivals are also a major target for hackers. Their attacks have also become increasingly advanced, thus it is imperative that customers should also become extremely cautious. We hope the above tips will help you enjoy a safe and secure Cyber Monday, with some great deals on your favorite items.