In preparation for Cyber Monday, cyber villains have crafted a virtual onslaught of social engineering scams, and malicious, spoofed websites in order to dupe the droves of people expected to spend nearly $4 billion online this year.

It’s important to know the warning signs. Here’s your guide to safe online shopping on Cyber Monday and beyond.

1. Go directly to a store’s website instead of using search engines to look for deals.

2. Close ALL pop-ups and other digital ads–do not even acknowledge them.
Many pop-ups could contain fake coupons and redirect you to malicious sites.

3. Watch out for social media scams, especially on Facebook.
Cybercriminals are using fake or compromised Facebook accounts in order to post links to deals that don’t actually exist.

4. Do NOT open any Cyber Monday emails with attachments.
Emails with attachments, especially zip files, are likely to contain malware.

5. Make sure you’re on a secure connection.
Look for the padlock icon to the left of the URL in your web browser when you go to check out.

6. Do not use debit cards to shop online.
Cybercriminals will have direct access to your bank account when using a debit card. Using a credit card instead gives you the protection of the bank’s fraud program.

7. Avoid using public wifi to shop.
Try to avoid using coffee shops’ or restaurants’ wireless Internet connection as they may be monitored by cybercriminals looking for easy access to a poorly protected computer. Use personal hot-spots or your protected home or office connections instead.

8. Watch out for malicious QR codes.
QR codes are small, pixelated codes meant to be scanned by a smartphone’s camera. They often contain coupons, links to websites, or other product marketing materials. Some hackers have started creating codes that link to phishing or malware sites.

9. Don’t give up any extra personal information.
If a site starts asking for out-of-the-ordinary personal data, like Social Security numbers or password security questions, go no further and end the session.

10. Tighten up security before you shop on Cyber Monday.
Make sure all software on your computer is up-to-date, including your OS, browser, and other apps. Most importantly, your anti-virus and anti-malware software.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

We live in a practically wireless world today. In fact, there is a very high chance you are reading this article over a wireless connection right now. Our dependency on wireless technology is certain, but how can we enhance the way we access data, secure our connections and ensure that we are getting the best that wireless has to offer?

Wireless Security 101

Most people access data and internet services over wireless connections without really thinking about it. It’s convenient, fast and connects you to all the services you’ve grown to rely on. However, this convenience can cause complacency and that is when you can be at your most vulnerable.

For example, if you are using an open wireless network with no password security you could be leaving your personal data wide open to being intercepted and stolen. That includes your banking details, your email credentials and your social media passwords. In the wrong hands this data could end up costing you dearly. Identity fraud is on the rise and costs U.S. consumers millions of dollars every year.

Today’s wireless networks typically offer 5 major levels of security:

Steer Clear of Open and WEP

You’ll often find open networks freely available in internet cafes and fast food restaurants. However, because open wireless networks use no password security, it makes sense to avoid these networks at all costs. Exchanging secure or personal data over these networks can result in your passwords being cracked and stolen, and your data compromised. While WEP networks offer very basic security, it only takes hackers mere moments to "guess" your password using password cracking software.

Protect Your Connection With WPA and WPA2

Whether you are setting up a wireless router at work or home, or accessing a network on the move, it is always recommended that you configure or choose a network that is using WPA or WPA2 security. However, while these technologies offer more robust security there are still a couple of vulnerabilities you should be aware of.

Both WPA and WPA2 networks require password authentication before access is granted. However, the security on these networks is only ever as robust as the password used to control entry. While a strong password that contains 20 characters and is made up of letters, numbers and symbols would be practically impossible to crack, it is human nature to choose a password that is easier to remember. Unfortunately, passwords that are easily remembered are also easy to crack, especially if they use words you can find in the dictionary.

How to Further Secure Your Network

There are still a number of ways you can secure your wireless network. A hidden SSID and MAC address filter will mean users must not only know the name of the network they are connecting to, but they must also be accessing the network using a device whose MAC address has been included in the filter. Add to this a robust password and you have a very secure wireless network. You could also create a separate guest network that segregates guest traffic from the rest of the network and any classified or sensitive data that could be vulnerable.

On Friday and over the weekend, a major piece of malware infected hundreds of thousands of computers, taking down everything from businesses to the U.K.’s National Health Service. The malware was called WannaCry 2.0.

Ransomware is malicious software that burrows into your computer and encrypts the files on your machine, keeping you from being able to access them. The malware’s creator then asks that you to pay a fee to unlock your data. WannaCry 2.0 uses a vulnerability in Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows operating system to attack users’ computers.

The first wave of the WannaCry 2.0 attacks seems to have passed. But chances some hacker will repurpose the malware and send it back into the wild again. There has been some talk that the next wave could specifically target businesses, both large and small, in the United States.

Ransomware doesn’t just appear on your computer. It has to be downloaded. And while you could swear up and down that you’d never be tricked into downloading malware, cybercriminals get plenty of people to do just that. This typically happens by opening and clicking on links or attachments in an infected email.

That email you opened to get ransomware on your computer in the first place was specifically written to get you to believe it was real. That’s because criminals use social engineering to craft their messages. For example, hackers can determine your location and send emails that look like they’re from companies based in your country.

It’s not just email, though. An attack known as a drive-by can affect you if you simply visit certain websites. That’s because criminals have the ability to inject their malware into ads or links on poorly secured sites. When you go to such a site, you’ll download the ransomware.

How to protect yourself:

Software and OS Updates

The very best way to protect yourself from these types of attacks is to constantly update your operating system’s software and apps like Microsoft Office and Adobe Flash Player. For businesses, there are patch management systems that can monitor all of your business computers for outdated versions, automatically download the updates needed and then push them out from a central repository. No business owner has the time to constantly stay on top of the amount of updates needed to truly be protected. A software system designed to do this heavy lifting for you is the way to go.

Data backups

Always maintain and test a reliable system to back up your files. You can either do that by backing them up to an offsite data backup service or by backing up to a near line storage or external drive. Some ransomware can infect your backups however so you will want to choose a business option rather relying on a Google Drive or other “retail” level system. If you’re backing up to an external hard drive, you’ll want to disconnect it from your PC when you’re finished.

Anti-virus software and Internet content filtering

An up-to-date and properly licensed anti-virus software will help prevent malware from becoming present on your machines. Internet content filtering will help block websites that are potential problems in the first place thereby lowering your chances of accidentally visiting one of these sites to begin with.

Find out just where you are with your technology

Technology should never be considered a “set it and forget it” part of your business. It takes constant tweaking, monitoring and maintenance to make your system reliable. You should strongly consider having a formal IT Security Assessment performed on your system no matter how large for small your business is as these formal scans can give you an excellent chance to find out just where you have vulnerabilities.

We can assist you with any of the above protection measures mentioned above. It is far less costly to be proactive than it is to be reactive. NOW is the time to find out, not later or…….after!