How to enjoy a merry and cyber-safe holiday shopping season
From children’s toys to Apple iPhones, some of the most common holiday gifts are expected to be in short supply this season. Which means cyber criminals will be hard at work on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, trying to entice desperate customers to cut corners on cyber security to buy that hard-to-get gift. Don’t do it.
Follow these tips from Norton while doing your online holiday shopping this season.
- Do your shopping with Santa-approved (in other words reputable) businesses: Better to avoid holiday shopping “deals” with companies you don’t recognize. Cyber criminals will create realistic-looking business websites to advertise hard-to-find items, stealing your financial information.
- Ho-ho-hold on before you click on a link: Rather than clicking on a link in an email or text, go directly to a retailer's website to find the hottest Cyber Monday and Black Friday deals. The same goes for promo codes offering free shipping or discounts. Don't click links to copy the code — enter it directly on the retailer's website instead.
- Look for the lock: When shopping at smaller shops or independent retailers, look for the lock icon in the top left corner of the browser bar. That indicates a secure site, which uses encryption to keep your data hidden from cyber crooks.
- Stay home for the holidays to make your online purchases: Cyber crooks can hack public Wi-Fi and steal your passwords, billing information and other data. Wait until you get home, using your private Wi-Fi, to make those purchases. Plus, always use strong passwords. Consider using a password generator.
- Santa’s always watching. You should be, too: During the holiday shopping season, make a point of checking your banking and credit card accounts on a regular basis. Visit the Federal Trade Commission for info on disputing fraudulent charges.
Take these steps to enjoy a merry and cyber-safe holiday shopping season.
Black Hills Energy Blog
A lot of us have spent the past few weeks in our yards planting flowers, trimming trees and wondering what to do when that cute baby bunny is big enough to raid the garden.
After a long winter, prepping the yard for summer can feel more like play than work. All of our focus is outside, which is…
Each year, millions of people around the world join on Earth Day, April 22, to make a positive impact on our planet. But you don’t have to wait until Earth Day to make an impact.
You can make a difference in your community and the world every day with these ideas.
1. Plant trees…
We are knee deep into the month of love. Stores have dedicated entire aisles to heart-shaped candy; flower shops are bursting with roses; and the romantics among us are dutifully planning the perfect Valentine’s Day date for their “schmoopies.”
But love isn’t always romantic, right?…
If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that changing our routines can be hard. We're creatures of habits, after all.
That’s probably why New Year’s resolutions don’t stick for most people. Yet, each year people everywhere still make resolutions for the new year. You’ll be glad to know…
Your mornings are about to get a little brighter! Unfortunately, that also means your evenings will be a bit darker.
That’s right, Daylight Saving Time is coming to an end.
At exactly 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, our clocks will fall back one hour to 1 a.m., which means you’ll have an extra hour of…
For many of us, the best holiday memories revolve around food.
The sweet aroma of gingerbread cookies in the oven, the savory scent of a roasting turkey — those smells can transport us back in time. It might be a childhood memory of baking with Grandma on a snowy winter day or more recent memories…
Forget ghosts and goblins this Halloween season. The actual terror may be lurking in your home. Unfortunately, when cold weather arrives, your home can become an energy vampire, sucking power and draining the contents of your wallet.
Before you reach for the garlic or wooden stakes, never fear.…
By now, we’ve begun to (mostly) accept that summer is over. Kids are back at school; days are growing shorter and the leaves on trees are turning shades of orange and red.
The change of season might be a little hard to stomach, especially as the warm weather fades into the chill of fall. But…
When temperatures are high outside and you’re feeling especially grateful for the coolness of your air conditioner, the last thing on your mind is your furnace. I mean, who wants to think about that when summer is in full swing?
We get it – right now you want to bask in the sunshine and cherish…
JUMP TO RECIPE Jump to grill safety
If nothing makes you happier than lighting up the grill on a summer evening, rest assured you’re not alone. In the United States, nearly 20% of people grill several times a week. And who can blame them…
Sipping an ice-cold glass of lemonade. Long days at the pool. Watermelon. We love summer and all the warm memories it holds. But as much as we appreciate a good sunshine-filled day, we’re just as thankful for a place to cool off. Our air conditioners help us enjoy the best summer has to offer…
As we roll into summer, most of us are probably getting our yards into shape. It won’t be long before our flowerbeds are awash in color and our gardens are pumping out wheelbarrows full of zucchini (whether we like it or not). But have you thought about getting your house in shape for spring and…