The holiday shopping season provides an excellent opportunity for unscrupulous actors to prey on unwary customers by using phony websites, harmful links, and even false charity. Data breaches, hacking attacks, and identity theft are becoming increasingly widespread. Consumers should take precautions to safeguard their privacy and date security from these threats.

Here are some pointers on how to avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime when shopping during the holiday season.

• Double-check the URL on an online shopping website.
• Use an official online shopping app.
• Enable and set all software and application updates to automatic.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your accounts.
• Always use strong and secure passwords.
• Use a secure network.
• Always think before you click.