As the festive season approaches and many of us wind down for the holidays, cybercriminals are gearing up. Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for online scams, shopping fraud, and digital deception.
Whether you’re finishing up work for the year, doing last-minute online shopping, or travelling to visit family, it’s important to stay vigilant.
Here are our tips to help protect yourself from seasonal cybersecurity threats:
Watch out for fake Christmas deals, adverts on social media, and scam websites
Fraudulent online shops, social media scams, and “too good to be true” discounts spike in December. Stick to trusted retailers (check using sites like Trustpilot), look for HTTPS in the website address bar, and avoid entering card details on unfamiliar sites.
Be cautious with public Wi-Fi while travelling
Cafés, airports and hotels often offer free Wi-Fi, but cybercriminals know they can exploit this. Use the University VPN whenever you access University systems and avoid logging into banking or email accounts.
Stay alert for phishing and delivery scams
Fake parcel notifications, charity requests and “account alerts” are common at this time of year. Don’t click on unexpected links, and if you need to contact your bank, use the number from your physical bank card.
Secure your accounts and devices
Use strong, unique passwords or passphrases, turn on multi-factor authentication, and keep devices physically secure when travelling, in busy areas, or socialising.
Be mindful of what you post online
Sharing travel plans, gifts or locations can inadvertently give cybercriminals useful information. Review privacy settings and avoid posting in real time.