Don’t let cybertheft ruin holiday

While hunting for bargains online and in stores this holiday season, take steps to protect your identity and guard against fraud.

As you click for deals, cybercrooks are working overtime to get their filthy hands on your sensitive personal information and open credit cards in your name, take out loans and even file for unemployment assistance programs.

That’s why consumers must stay vigilant about internet security, says Dr. Yair Levy, professor of cybersecurity and information systems at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Engineering and Computing.

Cybercrime is a growth industry. Retail and banking security breaches are here to stay. On Cyber Monday, consumers spent $3.45 billion online, an increase of 12.1 percent over 2015, making it the largest online sales day in history, according to Adobe Digital Insights. Online fraud attempts are expected to increase 43 percent during holidays, says ACI Worldwide, an electronic payments company.

Levy, who is a member of the U.S. Secret Service’s Miami Electronic Crimes Task Force, of the FBI’s InfraGard and the National Joint Task Force on Cybersecurity Education, offers tips on how to stay safe while digging out deals.

Q. What are the biggest threats consumers face when shopping online?

A. Identity theft. You provide a lot of information about yourself like your name, address, date of birth or challenge questions. Make sure you shop only at credible websites, merchants and companies that you trust. Don’t be greedy and expect to get something for nothing or for super cheap.

Also, use an identity-monitoring service. I use one for each member of my family, including the kids. If your child’s Social Security number is compromised, crooks can take out loans under their name and you may not know for years. These services are worth their weight in gold.

Q. What’s your best cybersecurity tip?

A. Cybercrimes are shifting to mobile devices and business is booming. We are seeing new scams emerge via free “shopping comparison” or “price check” apps that are used to scan UPC bar codes in stores to compare prices to what you find online. These apps, once installed on your device, contain malware and key-loggers that grab anything typed onto your device (including user names, passwords, bank accounts, credit-cards info, etc.) and transmit the information

to the crooks. Avoid these free apps! I use the Amazon app, which has a bar code scanner, and is from a credible source.

Q. How do criminals get credit card and personal information?

A. Mainly through phishing scams, which increase over the holidays. These are bogus electronic communications masquerading as trustworthy retailers like Amazon, Wal-Mart and others by offering huge discounts. Never, ever click on links provided in an email to make a purchase. Instead, go to the site independently to verify the offer or coupon code first and only then log into your account. If the deal seems too good to be true, be suspicious. It likely is.

Q. Any tips on creating strong passwords?

A. I recommend people use “pass phrases” instead of passwords. An example: “Welike2martinisfor$20” is easy to remember with more than 20 characters. Difficult-to-hack passwords should be at least 10 characters containing capital and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers. Never use personal information, like pet or kids’ names, in passwords.

Q. How can consumers stay safe online?

A. There is no bulletproof solution, but the two-credit card system is more secure. Dedicate one credit card for online purchases only because it’s at a higher risk of being compromised. Use a second credit card to pay bills, buy gas, etc. If the card is compromised, it’s easy to cancel the account. If the card is compromised, report it to the company and get a new card.

Q. Where can consumers learn more about internet safety?

A. The Department of Homeland Security offers useful and practical information at StopThinkConnect.org. Another good resource is the National Cyber Security Alliance at StaySafeOnline.org. If you are a victim of cybercrime, report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. The site posts alerts on data breaches and emerging Internet crime schemes.

Q. Do I need to protect myself when shopping in stores?

A. Yes. Credit card fraud costs billions each year and we all collectively pay for fraud. Ensure you have a card with a chip in it. The e-chip generates a unique code for each transaction when inserted into a special reader at the register. All retailers were required to install these by October 2015. However, the majority of retailers have not adopted this system yet and are using old point-of-sale operating systems that have many vulnerabilities that are well-known to crooks. Since some retailers have not installed e-chip readers yet, know where your card is at all times. I never let my credit cards out of my sight. Neither should you.

Cybercrime is a growth industry. Retail and banking security breaches are here to stay . ... Online fraud attempts are expected to increase 43 percent during holidays.