Cyber Monday is Quickly Approaching: Protect Yourself Against Hackers Trying to Steal YOUR Financial Data & Sensitive Information

Cyber Monday offers a couple distinct advantages to Black Friday: you can shop from the comfort of your own home, and you won’t risk being trampled like Mufasa in the Lion King by the hordes of shoppers waiting to rush through the store doors for the sweet deals. But while you may be saving yourself from the threat of blind violence by shopping online, you are opening yourself open to another threat.

This season is a holiday for cybercriminals as well, as it is a premium opportunity for phishers to trick shoppers into downloading malware. An example: this time of year there are many fake emails circulating that claim to be from UPS and contain links that promise tracking information on shipments but will actually install malware when clicked. There are so many of these emails that UPS has published a guide on their site that helps shoppers determine if an email they received from UPS is real or fake.

Let’s go over some things you can do to avoid falling victim to malware this Cyber Monday:

You Need More than Signature-Based Antimalware Software:

Signature-based antimalware software, which works by detecting known threats in your system, usually offers more the illusion of security than actual security. To protect yourself from advanced malware that hasn’t yet been blacklisted on signature-based antimalware software, you’ll need to install more advanced antimalware software like VxStream Sandbox that is able to adapt to new threats.

Stay Updated:

Make sure you are using the latest version of your browser and any other programs that connect to the Internet. Software companies are always looking for bugs in their products and releasing patches to fix these bugs as they find them. These companies get to maintain a reputation as makers of secure software, and you get a product that is forever improving. It’s a win – win, as long as you hold up your end of the deal and actually download the updates.

Check Outgoing Traffic:

You can review your firewall yourself to see if there is any suspicious activity leaking out. There are also security solutions that will do this for you and cut off any connections from installed malware to its control server, so even if you did accidentally download some malware it is neutered immediately and can cause you no harm.

Looking for more tricks to avoid malware? Need an IT support company to handle your information systems? Give us a call at (403) 457-1478 or send us an email at info@ctechgroup.net. CTECH Consulting Group always puts your security first.

Written by Carl Fransen

posted on November 28, 2014

Carl Fransen

My passion is to make my mark on the world in a positive and lasting way. I want to set an example for my son that his father can compete with integrity in today’s world, be very successful, and leave the world a better place for him.

Combining my technical/business-based education with a long career steadily progressing up the corporate ladder, I decided to build a company that held true to my values. So, I founded and designed the next generation of IT support firm: CTECH Consulting Group Inc. We are a completely automated, cloud-based IT company designed to compete against any other IT firm without the overhead. We promote a lifestyle to all our staff where they can work anywhere, at any time, access any information on any device that is relevant to their job, and collaborate with anyone they want to.