Stay safe as you finish up your holiday shopping online.

This holiday season, some of your holiday shopping is bound to take place online. While shopping online is a relatively common practice for many people, it’s still important that you undertake this task safely. During the holiday season, cyber criminals are more active and aggressive in their attempts to steal your financial information. So, here are some of the precautions you should employ before you click “checkout” this season.

Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi Networks

While you might feel the urge to browse your favorite online retailer’s website while lounging at your local coffee shop, it’s important that you don’t purchase anything or log into your account while on a public Wi-Fi network. These networks do not have very many security features and it’s very easy for others connected to the network to gain access to the information you are inputting. If you see something you can’t live without, wait until you are safely connected to your private Wi-Fi at home before attempting to buy.

Shop Using Pre-Paid Gift Cards

When shopping online, avoid using your credit or debit card information as much as possible. This is because a hacker could gain access to your financial information should they hack into your account. Even if you don’t use an account to shop, you may still be at risk. Even the most legitimate businesses can experience a major data breach, which could compromise your financial security. To limit your online exposure, do your online shopping using pre-paid gift cards. While a cyber criminal could use up the money you’ve loaded onto your card, this is far more preferable than giving a hacker unrestrained access to your credit card or checking account.

These are two of the important precautions you should employ when shopping online.  Want another way to stay safe this holiday season?  Make sure you have the proper personal insurance protections in place.  For assistance with all your coverage needs, contact the experts a Steve Wilk Insurance.  Check out our new office at 310 S Main Street, Suite C, Lombard, IL 60148.