Secure your data and prevent fraud on Turkey Day in three easy steps

Did someone say turkey? Every year on the fourth Thursday in November people all over the US celebrate Thanksgiving, a magical time filled with meaningful traditions, family get-togethers and lots of food. But let’s not forget traveling and shopping -- so much shopping -- over the extended Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend.

Between meeting with friends and family and tuning in for the excitement of Thanksgiving football and parades, armies of cybercriminals make it their business to ruin the celebrations by helping themselves to the stuffed turkey on your table. And by that, we mean your money and personal information.

To make sure no special family time gets ruined during the holidays, take a moment to breeze through some quick tips and tricks that can help you stay on top of some of the online hazards exploiting the Thanksgiving celebration.

Be wary of holiday-themed messages in your inbox

Cybercrooks get highly creative during the holiday season, baiting you with several Thanksgiving and Black Friday hooks to steal your hard-earned money and sensitive information, or take over accounts.

We know it’s tempting to click on deals that sound too good to be true, but fraudsters are betting that you do. Don’t fall for their fraudulent hooks, scrutinize all unsolicited forms of communication and do your research. Urgent emails and requests to provide confidential information should always be ignored.

We’ve also put together a scam portfolio to help you spot and defend against seasonal email (Black Friday) scams that can be found here.

Make your accounts un-hackable

Nobody wants to be locked out of their online accounts or have their money stolen, especially during the holiday season. Cybersecurity doesn’t need to be hard or complicated. You just need a bit of awareness and knowledge to prevent falling victim to hackers and nasty internet threats.

Begin with setting unique passwords for every account, and make sure that no one can guess them; then enable 2FA. Don’t use names or birthdays when setting up a password. Opt for a passphrase that includes lower and uppercase letters, numbers and special characters. To streamline password management and protect your favorite platforms, we recommend using a password manager.

You can shop till you drop, but be wary of scam websites

In the digital age, consumers can shop easier and faster than ever. Everything is only a click away, and there are always new e-commerce platforms popping up on social media or ads you see online.

To be safe, stick to platforms you know and trust, and check for legitimate reviews and customer experiences. Look for grammar mistakes, suspicious domains, pop-ups and limited-time offers that pressure you into making a quick purchase.

Cybercriminals never take a break, not during Thanksgiving or any other holiday.

That’s why this holiday season we would like to empower you to make smart, convenient, and timesaving decisions to ensure the security of everything in your digital life so you don’t lose sight of important moments with your loved ones.

Check out Bitdefender security solutions, here.