Christmas seems to have come around really quickly this year, and I don’t feel nearly as organised as I usually do. This year, we have had to really watch our budget, and make some changes to our normal routine, as student finance really doesn’t stretch very far when you have 4 children to consider!
It’s not just us that finds Christmas a strain on their household budget. Mcafee spokesperson Raj Samani says that three-quarters (75%) of Brits said Christmas puts a financial stress on themselves and their family, with the average Brit spending £482 on presents, turkey and other festive items.
With shift work and heaps of uni revision to contend with this year, I have done a huge amount of my Christmas planning and purchasing online. It’s just easier – I can check out my online basket at any time of the day or night, and it means I don’t have to drag unwilling children around the shops. However, I think we can sometimes become complacent when shopping online, and forget the hidden dangers. Raj also says a massive 54% of people believe that the stress of the Christmas season can cause them to behave carelessly online, with Brits at risk of losing £725 each this Christmas due to risky shopping habits.
I have to be honest – I am probably not as careful as I should be when shopping online. I often forget to check for a secure connection, and I store my card details on websites I use regularly. But I really should be more aware – if we lost £725 due to careless shopping, we would have to cancel Christmas.
McAfee’s tips for consumers to stay safe while shopping online.
- Always connect with caution. Public Wi-Fi might seem like a good idea, but if consumers are not careful, they could be unknowingly be exposing personal information or credit card details to cybercriminals who are snooping on the network. If you have to conduct transactions on a public Wi-Fi connection use a virtual private network (VPN) to help keep your connection secure.
- Think before you click. One of the easiest ways for a cybercriminal to compromise their victim is by using phishing emails to lure consumers into clicking links for products or services that could lead to malware, or a fake website designed to steal personal information. If the deal seems too good to be true, or the email was not expected it is always best to check directly with the source.
- Browse with security protection. As our daily activities become more ingrained in our digital lives, it is important to keep everything protected. A comprehensive security solution can help ensure that your devices are protected against malware, phishing attacks and device-specific protection in the event of loss or theft.
*This is a sponsored post*
