We’ve made it to the end of 2022 - and that means it’s the ideal time to make sure your home is fully protected.
The holiday gifting season is in full swing, and if you’re going to be buying a lot of Christmas presents online, then you’ll want to make sure you do so safely.
The same goes for anyone lucky enough to unwrap gadgets this holiday season - making sure they’re safe to use online with a security suite such as BitDefender Total Security means you can start using your new tech in total peace of mind.
Here are our top tips for ending 2022 on a security high - and ushering in the New Year safely and securely.
Shop in safety
This time of year always means doing a lot of shopping, and retailers will be dropping prices with tempting sales well into the New Year. However, this also means that you should be extra vigilant when shopping.
That means be careful which sites you visit and which ones you share your credit card details with. Make sure you’re only dealing with legitimate websites and retailers - stay clear of any that you’ve never heard of or which don’t have public reviews of their service.
Keep an eye out for phishing websites as well. These are fake websites that are designed to look like legitimate businesses - but will instead steal your money. Bitdefender Total Security comes with anti-phishing tools that will identify and block any scam websites.
The advanced anti-fraud filtering system will also warn you if you visit a website that could try to scam you.
Be vigilant when clicking emails
Holiday fraud doesn’t just happen on websites - every year there is an increase in unsolicited emails that land in people’s inboxes. While a lot of this is marketing junk, scammers can also take advantage of the Christmas deluge of emails to target you.
This can be done via phishing emails which, like the websites, will pretend to be from a real business and will try to get you to part with personal information such as credit card numbers and passwords.
Malicious hackers could also send emails with virus-laden attachments. Opening one could lead to your PC getting compromised - so never open attachments from people or accounts you don’t recognise. Even if an email is sent from someone you know, still be wary - they may have been hacked, so if something seems suspicious, don’t open the attachment and message the sender on another service.
Bitdefender Total Security keeps you protected from all the latest phishing scams, including dedicated anti-phishing and anti-fraud systems to keep you safe online. Anti-spam tools will filter out unwanted emails as well, and if you do get infected, Bitdefender’s best in class antivirus software will remove the threat before it does any damage.
Secure your new devices
These days, many of the gadgets and gizmos we’ll open on Christmas Day will connect to the internet somehow, be they new laptops, tablets or smart home appliances.
To make sure your holidays aren’t blighted by any security threats, you’ll want to make sure all of these devices are protected.
Bitdefender Total Security provides comprehensive protection against all major cyberthreats across mobile and PC devices, including Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, with up to 15 devices per household covered by your subscription.
So, no matter what kind of smart device you unwrap, you’ll be able to connect to the internet without worrying.
Protect your family
This time of year means the whole family will be getting new devices, and you’ll want to make sure that they are protected as well.
This is especially important for children who get new gadgets that connect to the internet. Sadly, malicious hackers will target children and their devices because they don’t have the same level of security awareness.
Bitdefender Total Security comes with a large range of family safety features, including Advanced Parental Control, which allows you to monitor your child’s online activities. You can also filter out inappropriate content so they won’t see anything they shouldn’t, and if you’re concerned that they’ve been glued to their new device for too long, you can set screen time limits as well, so everyone can enjoy the holiday season safely.
For news on all the latest threats, you can also get real-time updates about malware outbreaks and scams on the Bitdefender Blog.
