As the holiday season draws near, the excitement of embarking on festive online shopping adventures intensifies, especially with the Amazon Great Indian Festival and Flipkart Big Billion Days sales officially kicking off on October 8.
The ease of e-commerce platforms and the allure of tempting bargains have led an ever-increasing number of individuals to turn to the digital realm for their holiday purchases.
Nonetheless, alongside the myriad benefits of online shopping comes the exposure to a variety of cyber frauds.
To ensure a secure and enjoyable online shopping experience during this festive season, it is imperative to adopt a few fundamental precautions.
Robust Passwords Strengthening online security begins with the straightforward yet highly effective practice of a robust password for each online account.
Consider relying on a trustworthy password manager for generating and securely storing your passwords.
Activating Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Enhance the security of your online accounts by implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Always enable MFA whenever it is an option, particularly for your online shopping accounts.
Seek out websites that exhibit a secure connection (indicated by "https://" and a padlock icon in the address bar) and scrutinise the site's privacy and return policies before making a purchase.
Refrain from using debit cards for online shopping, as they may not extend the same level of defence against fraudulent charges.
Vigilance Against Phishing Scams Phishing scams serve as a favoured ploy among cybercriminals for stealing sensitive information.
Exercise caution while opening unsolicited emails, text messages, or pop-up advertisements soliciting personal or financial details.
Account Monitoring Closely monitor your bank and credit card statements on a regular basis for any indications of unauthorised or suspicious transactions.
If you detect any irregularities, promptly report them to your financial institution.
Cybersecurity Education Stay abreast of the latest developments in cybersecurity threats and best practices.
Familiarise yourself with prevalent online scams and the tactics deployed by cybercriminals.
Cybersecurity awareness stands as one of the most potent defences against online threats.
Festive online shopping should be an exhilarating experience devoid of apprehensions.
By embracing these smart cybersecurity measures, you can substantially diminish the perils associated with online shopping and savour a secure and enjoyable festive season.
Bear in mind that cybersecurity is a continual endeavour, necessitating unwavering vigilance and proactive safeguarding of your personal and financial information throughout your online shopping endeavours. (
The author is the Chief Information Officer at Fincare Small Finance Bank)
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