Welcome to the latest edition of Cyber Insights with Mercury IT. This issue highlights online shopping scams including what to look out for so you don’t get tricked and top tips on staying safe while shopping this festive season.

Cyber Insights Overview 

• Watch out for online shopping scams – Online shopping scams have increased 42% this year with almost $7 million in reported losses. Scammers will now be actively targeting people doing their Christmas shopping and you will need to be hyper vigilant for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Scams on Facebook marketplace and Gumtree have increased by 60% this year. Do your research, check independent reviews and don’t feel pressured by the sales price > Read More
• REvil ransomware strikes again, this time at major accounting firm Nexia. The company informed regulators of an attack on November 3, 2020. While the REvil gang had up until recently boasted of the score on its website, the information has since disappeared, leading to speculation that the ransom was paid. The firm has not confirmed what if any data was stolen, although the REvil group did confirm that it had data in its initial posting. > Read More 

• Keep your smartphone, computer, and other devices updated. This helps ensure that your device has the latest security patches.
• Only use trusted Wi-Fi connections and be suspicious of any network that does not require a password to connect.
• Take the time to change any outdated or simple passwords. Use strong, unique passwords on all of your accounts.
• Be careful not to overshare on social media. Consider anything you post to be public information.
• Keep an eye on the activity in your banking and credit card accounts. Also, be sure to monitor your credit report on a regular basis.
• Be suspicious of emails you receive about online purchases. Check the status of your order directly on the website that you purchased from.
• If you receive a holiday greeting card in your inbox, verify the sender before clicking the link to view the card.
• If you’re traveling for the holidays, be sure to keep your devices stored safely at all times.
• Pay close attention to the websites that you order from. Only shop on websites that you know and trust.
• Watch out for giveaways and contests. Remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.