Shop Safely on Cyber Monday and Beyond.

Cyber Monday is just around the corner and if you are like me and many others, than you plan to enjoy the convenience of bypassing crowded stores in order to find the perfect gift and plan to do much of your shopping online. Just remember, the Internet is loaded with attackers looking for unsuspecting shoppers to slip-up and give them access to their personal and financial information. The following is a list of ways to safely surf the internet for sales this holiday shopping season - and skip the scams.

1. Make sure you're shopping on a secure site. Look for the padlock icon or a URL that starts with https://. That means your transaction is encrypted.
2. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you're not familiar with a particular seller, look for privacy and security seals or research them before you make your purchase. These seals are usually found on the bottom of the sellers webpage.
3. Create lengthy and complex passwords. Passwords can be guessed very quickly by hacker programs, so use both upper- and lower case letters as well as numbers and characters when creating passwords or when registering on sites.
4. Maintain your security software to keep malware off your PC.
   Make sure your antivirus and other security software are up to date. When you are done shopping, I recommend that you run a scan of your computer.
5. Don't make hasty online purchases. If you're hesitant to enter your credit card details online, consider using a separate credit card, or use an "e-card" solution that gives you the ability to create a temporary card number to be used just once or with a spending limit.
6. Pay extra attention to your bills and your credit. During the holidays, take the time to ensure your financial statements are accurate and that there are no surprise charges on your credit card.
7. Don't Shop in Public (online!) If buying something online, use your own computer. Don't use public computers while on vacation at hotels or airports. Public computers can have keyloggers that record your information as you type it.

Remember, cyber thieves are everywhere, so use a little common sense online this holiday season and you can spend more time on the phone with Grandma and less time on the phone trying to straighten out your charges with your credit card company.