As the holidays approach most people will be increasing their online shopping for the holidays.

Only shop on sites with current security certificates

Any e-commerce site should have HTTPS in its web address. This is an indicator that you have an encrypted connection to a site. Without the security certificate, sensitive personal information, including your credit card, could be compromised.

Here is what to look for:

Read emails carefully

Retailers are eager to tell you about their deals which can result in an influx of email marketing.  Some of these messages could be phishing for personal information. Some indicators of phishing include obvious typos, unusual send addresses, and indications that you need to take immediate action.

Use antivirus and security software

One of your best defenses when shopping online is a good anti-virus protection software to protect your computer against malware and viruses.

Take advantage of third-party payment services

Entering your card number into a website is possible risk if someone is looking over your shoulder or monitoring the network. A better alternative is to just use something like PayPal or Apple Pay, which allows you to check out with a relatively streamlined process using pre-saved payment details.

Don’t use public Wi-Fi when shopping online

When you shop online, you want the maximum possible security and privacy for your transactions. That means never buying anything while connected to public or open Wi-Fi networks.  Stick to your own Wi-Fi or use your cellular data.