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Concern about Black Friday: Increased hacker attacks threaten - "this is a main threat at this time"

2020-11-17T20:30:39.940Z


On Black Friday, not only are cheap offers possible, but also dangerous cyber attacks. Seven tips on how to protect yourself from attacks.


On Black Friday, not only are cheap offers possible, but also dangerous cyber attacks.

Seven tips on how to protect yourself from attacks.

  • On November 29th, the so-called

    Black Friday

    takes place and people are again looking for bargains.

  • In addition to low prices, increased hacker attacks are also expected.

  • Seven tips on how to protect yourself.

Munich -

Black Friday

.

As if the sales of the large mail order and retail companies weren't already big enough, it apparently also took another day for profit maximization to be increased significantly.

It's that time again on November 29th.

Black Friday: 69 percent want to go shopping on this day

On

Black Friday

, the Friday after

Thanksgiving

, which is celebrated in the United States,

companies entice with special offers.

The

Black Friday

is considered as the start of the Christmas gifts season and is now already arrived in Germany.

According to a recent survey,

"

92 percent of Germans know

Black Friday

and 69 percent plan to shop online on that day".

The

corona pandemic

* ensures that many people do their shopping online this year.

Black Friday: Fear of attacks is growing - focus on phishing

In addition to bargain offers,

Black Friday

also has negative side effects.

There is growing concern about cyber attacks.

The anti-virus program Avira has issued a statement warning against an increase in targeted

phishing attacks

.

This is understood to mean the acquisition of personal data such as passwords or account data with the help of fake emails or websites.

In the past ten months, the number of

phishing URLs has

already increased compared to the previous year

more than doubled.

The main season for fake URLs doesn't actually start until the end of autumn.

Criminals know that more and more people are shopping online and are taking advantage of this.

Be aware that many online shoppers neglect internet security.

+

Black Friday 2020: Amazon and Co. advertise with enormous offers.

(Symbol image)

© Ray Tang / dpa

Black Friday: "Phishing remains a major threat in the holiday shopping season"

Even in a rush to get the best offer, some people would be less careful with their data and more likely to click on - even dubious - links.

The problem: By clicking on the wrong URL, users get

malware

, i.e. certain malicious programs, onto their computers or smartphones, whereby the hackers gain access to sensitive data.

According to Avira, the risk of falling victim to a phishing attack is greatest at the end of November.

Then, when

Black Friday is

just around the corner, there will be an increase in malicious URLs of at least 15 percent compared to the annual average.

Phishing

remains a major threat in the

Black Friday

and holiday shopping season.

This year we are expecting an even greater flood of fake web shop advertising that

imitates

Amazon

*,

WalMart

or

ebay

, as well as fake bank and delivery information from campaigns that imitate PayPal or DHL, for example, ”explains Alexander Vukcevic, head of the Avira Protection Labs.

Black Friday: How to protect yourself from hacker attacks

The virus program has put together a list of how you can protect yourself against cyber attacks on

Black Friday

.

  • Popular hashtags

    : Hackers usually use popular hashtags like #blackfriday or #discounts.

    More attention should be paid to such news.

  • Direct messages

    : By obtaining sensitive data, it cannot be ruled out that hackers can also use direct messages to spread their fake URLs.

    Don't click on dubious links - even if they come via instant message.

  • Antivirus program

    : this is how the attacks could be prevented.

    In any case, it is advisable to keep your devices up to date, i.e. to have the latest version installed.

  • Only use familiar websites

    : If you also want to visit other pages, it is advisable to check whether the website URL begins with "https: //".

    The "s" indicates that the web connection has been encrypted and protected by the SSL certificate.

  • Phishing emails

    : Don't click on links that don't seem familiar to you.

    Instead, go to the proposed website in your browser to check whether the website looks serious.

  • Individual passwords

    : It is advisable to use a password manager that generates and stores secure and one-time passwords.

  • Credit card and account billing

    : Check

    your

    account transactions

    and take action

    immediately if you discover

    any

    irregularities.

If these tips are followed, nothing stands in the way of bargain hunting on Black Friday.

We have also put together an overview of common mistakes when shopping online for you.

(as)

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network

List of rubric lists: © Ray Tang / dpa

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2020-11-17

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