Cybercrooks posing as the Easter bunny? Here are 5 cybersecurity tips to safeguard your identity and money

Easter bunnies, Easter egg hunts, traveling and family get-togethers are things we all look forward to during the Easter Holiday. However, as you eagerly anticipate celebrating with friends and family, shopping and travelling, fraudsters are planning to catch you off guard.

Every year during the Easter period, cybercriminals launch attacks on unwary internet users, exploiting online behaviors, holiday cheer and generosity.

What you can expect this Easter:

• Easter-themed spam which may include e-cards, too-good-to-be-true deals on Easter confections and baskets, chocolates, surveys and gift cards
• Fraudulent texts trying to trick you into providing sensitive info
• Fake email notifications of package shipments or orders you did not make
• Phony giveaways, promotions, sales or requests to support charities on all social media platforms
• Scammers taking advantage of holiday travel, promoting last-minute breaks and suspiciously cheap rentals and flights

Here’s what you can do to protect your identity, money and family celebration during the holiday with these five cybersecurity tips:

• Be mindful of all Easter-themed correspondence you receive via email or text. Closely inspect the message, and look for any red flags that may include requests for private data, credit card information or passwords. Trust your intuition and scrutinize all messages that say you’ve won the “Easter Bunny Lotto” or any “limited-time” or “free” offers that require you to pay “only the shipping fees”
• If you’re feeling charitable on Easter, look up local or international charities
• Don’t open e-cards or attachments you receive via unsolicited correspondence, as they could contain credential-stealing Trojans or spyware
• If online shopping is on your to-do list, use only secure connections and platforms you know and trust. Use a security solution and VPN to ensure you don’t accidentally end up on a copycat or fraudulent webpage
• Be mindful of your privacy on social media. Don’t overshare information that may harm you, including your whereabouts and travel plans

Bonus tip: Take a few moments to remind your kids about internet scams and threats during their Easter break. If your children are fond of online games and have their own mobile devices or computers, make sure they check with you before downloading any new Easter-themed games. Advise them to never share personal info, phone number, home address or any other data with individuals they meet in gaming chat rooms, servers or social media.

Keeping all your Easter eggs in just one basket is a big no-no in cybersecurity. Relax and enjoy some much-needed family time while we take care of your data during the Easter holiday.

Grab a Bitdefender all-in-one package that combines the best of both worlds: advanced malware detection technologies, privacy and identity theft protection features to give you peace of mind whether at home or on the go hunting for Easter eggs with friends and family!

Check out our plans and special offers here.