Protecting Your Important: Don’t give cyber spooks a treat this Halloween - adopt these four cyber habits

We couldn’t wrap up Cybersecurity Awareness Month without talking about nasty internet threats that can jeopardize your safety and privacy during Halloween.

As October draws to a close and consumers make the last preparations for Halloween parties and scary movie marathons, we’re here to remind you of the need for vigilance to ensure a scam-free holiday.

Halloween brings out opportunistic internet ghosts and trick-or-treaters who exploit the celebration by launching themed attacks and scams aimed at stealing your personal information and money.

Stick to these recommendations to stay safe:

1. Lock your accounts

Your online accounts hold many sweet treats that cybercriminals want to get their greedy hands on. Add layers of security to your digital life by setting up one-of-a-kind passwords for each account and enable any extra security features, including 2FA and MFA, whenever available.

If you’re finding it difficult to stick to good password hygiene, you can opt for a password manager to help you create and protect them from snoops.

2. Steer clear of digital tricks

Scammers keep a busy schedule during popular holidays. They lay out Halloween-themed bait in the form of fake sweepstakes, gifts and online stores to commit fraud against unwary users. Any form of unsolicited correspondence offering you “free” Halloween gifts in exchange for a small shipping fee is a scam and should be ignored.

Be extremely vigilant against flash sale ads and other too-good-to-be-true promotions you might see on social media during this time. During Halloween, you should only be giving out candy, not credit card details.

Think twice before you click, and check the validity of the message before acting on any urgent or high-pressure messages.

3. Disguise your online identity from impersonators and data scrapers

If you’re thinking of wearing a costume this Halloween to impress your friends, consider disguising your social media profiles too.

Keep your social channels a mystery to internet ghouls by setting them to private, and make a habit of limiting the amount of information you willingly provide or share.

It’s not just witches who cast spells on Halloween. Use a digital identity protection service to learn about the extent of the digital you and limit the damages of data breaches and privacy risks with real-time 24/7 alerts and precise action items.

And, for your last magical accomplishment, you can even cast a spell to find out if any social media impersonators who are exploiting your identity.

4. Chase off internet monsters that want to break into your devices

Halloween is the scariest holiday of the year, with haunted houses, ghost stories and pranks. Fiends and werewolves may go away after all Hallows night, but scary cyber threats never go away.

PROTECT YOUR IMPORTANT with a comprehensive and award-winning security solution that fends off new and existing cyberattacks that can compromise your device, steal your data, or hold it for ransom.

Experience the best-in-class protection for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices by choosing a Bitdefender all-in-one security solution today!

Stay safe!