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Beware of Thieves and Hackers this Holiday Season

December 18, 2013

Beware of Thieves and Hackers this Holiday Season

CBS News, By Dave Johnson

Thieves and hackers never take a vacation, so your privacy and personal information are always at risk. You're especially vulnerable this time of year, though. Not only do you spend more time interacting with retailers, but thieves are in high gear as well, hoping to take advantage of your more active shopping habits.

There are a variety of specific threats you need to contend with. You can mitigate a lot of risk by using common sense. According to a survey conducted by the data risk management firm Identity Theft 911, more than half of the respondents would provide personal information that is not needed to complete a transaction -- like a Social Security number -- despite being "very concerned" about the possibility of identity theft when shopping online. So to stay safe, keep these risks in mind.

Phishing mail. Email is still a significant concern, but hopefully one that you by now have learned to manage and mitigate. Phishing, for example, remains a huge illicit industry; according to security vendor Kaspersky, over 37 million people were attacked by phishing email last year. The remedy is simple. Don't click links in emails; always navigate to websites by typing the URL into your browser or use a stored favorite. Read more.

Beware of Thieves and Hackers this Holiday Season

Beware of Thieves and Hackers this Holiday Season
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About Kaspersky

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Innovating the industry with a Cyber Immunity approach, Kaspersky safeguards consumers, businesses, critical infrastructure, and governments from cyberthreats, with over a billion devices protected to date.

Kaspersky ensures Cybersecurity True to Business, focusing on providing clear outcomes, protecting revenue, easing workloads and preventing downtime. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services for organizations of every size, from small businesses to large enterprises, combining proven AI-driven protection technologies with simple management and expert support.

Recognized in independent tests and trusted by millions of individuals worldwide and nearly 200,000 organizations, Kaspersky helps detect threats earlier, respond faster and operate with greater confidence and freedom, protecting what matters most to our clients. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

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