Surging online buying is making shoppers targets for hackers, who are trying to get access to sensitive data as the shopping season resumes in Dubai. With that in mind, Cisco shares here few tips to keep personal data secure during the season.

Fady Younes, Cybersecurity Director, EMEA Service Providers and MEA,

commented: Now more than ever, cyber secure shopping is of utmost importance with 97% of consumers in the UAE stating that they rely on online shopping applications and services during festive seasons, according to a recent survey by Cisco AppDynamics. At Cisco, we consistently strive to drive rapid detection and protection against cyber risks and believe savvy shoppers can avoid holiday cyber scams — if they know what to look for.

Based on expert advice from Cisco, the following simple steps will ensure that shopping experience is safe:

Steer clear of scams

Scams tend to rely on generating a false sense of urgency. The shipping scam emails often show up in inboxes as a warning about a missed or delayed package that will be sent back to the point of origin if the recipient does not respond quickly. Of course, this requires a payment to receive the fictitious package. It is crucial for shoppers to be sure about the validity of the source before disclosing usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers.

Stay up to date

Software developers work hard to constantly improve their work, fix bugs, and stay ahead of hackers. But if shoppers are not updating their software, they are missing out on these benefits. Old and outdated software is vulnerable to hackers and cybercriminals as updates keep you safe from exploitable holes. Luckily, automatic software updates are becoming increasingly common and highly reliable.

Manage your passwords

Keeping the same weak password across multiple accounts increases the chances of getting hacked. Although remembering complex passwords can be a hassle, a secure password manager makes it easy to employ a unique password for each website being used. That way, even if shoppers get hacked, the damage will be limited.

Double your authentication

Two-factor authentication adds an additional layer of security to the authentication process by making it harder for attackers to gain access to a shopper’s devices or online accounts. Cisco’s Duo Security proactively reduces the risk of a data breach as the tools are heavily encrypted and are simple to use.