Author: Jeff Weeks, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer
- Safeguard your personal and financial data during the holidays
- Steps you can take to stay safe when shopping online
- Tips for protecting your information
As the holiday season approaches, the threat landscape becomes significantly more volatile. Cybercriminals understand that shoppers are distracted, rushed, and eager to secure deals. This convergence of urgency and volume creates an ideal environment for fraud, identity theft, phishing attacks, and payment-card compromise.
Whether purchases take place online or in person, threat actors intensify their efforts during November and December, exploiting weaker security practices and increased transaction frequency. A proactive, security-aware mindset is essential to safeguarding personal and financial data during this high-risk period.
Online Shopping Safety
It’s important to use caution when shopping online. These steps can increase your awareness and help protect your financial information.
- Shop Only on Reputable Websites – Limit your activity to well-known, established retailers. Fraudulent websites often mimic legitimate brands by using similar logos, layouts, and promotional language. When in doubt, navigate to the retailer’s website directly and avoid clicking on links sent via email or social media.
- Verify That the Site Uses HTTPS – Always confirm that the website address begins with https:// rather than http://. The presence of HTTPS indicates encryption is in place, protecting sensitive data during payment transmission. Most modern browsers also show a padlock icon in the address bar; its absence is a red flag.
- Check for Security Seals and Trust Badges – Seals from organizations like Norton, McAfee, or TRUSTe can indicate the retailer uses approved security practices. However, cybercriminals also counterfeit these images, so always click the seal to verify its authenticity.
- Use Strong, Unique Passwords – If you create or log into an online shopping account, ensure that the associated password is long, complex, and unique. Reused passwords remain a primary conduit for account takeover attacks — particularly when retailers suffer breaches. Consider using a reputable password manager to streamline secure credential storage.
- Be Wary of “Too Good to Be True” Deals – Deep discounts far outside industry norms are a common lure used in online scams. Unusually steep price reductions, countdown timers, and high-pressure purchasing prompts should trigger caution. Always compare prices on multiple trusted sites before proceeding.
Protecting Your Information During the Holiday Season
Online shopping isn’t the only risk that comes with the holidays. These tips can also help keep your data safe.
- Stay Alert for Phishing Emails and Text Messages – Threat actors ramp up holiday-themed phishing campaigns by impersonating retailers, shipping carriers, and financial institutions. Be skeptical of any message requesting account updates, payment confirmation, or shipment verification. Hover over links before clicking and avoid opening attachments or links from unknown sources.
- Use Credit Cards Instead of Debit Cards – From a risk-management perspective, credit cards offer stronger fraud protections and do not provide direct access to your bank account. Should a compromise occur, disputing fraudulent credit-card charges is typically easier and less financially disruptive than resolving debit-card fraud.
- Monitor Your Financial Accounts Regularly – During the holiday season, review bank and credit-card activity frequently. Early detection of unauthorized transactions dramatically improves the likelihood of recovering lost funds and preventing further misuse.
- Practice Situational Awareness In-Store – When shopping in person, be aware of your environment. Crowded stores create opportunities for physical theft, shoulder surfing, and wallet or device snatching. Keep personal items secure and refrain from holding your wallet or phone in a visible or easily accessible pocket.
- Protect Your PIN at ATMs and Payment Terminals – Always shield the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN. Criminals often rely on skimming devices paired with tiny cameras to harvest card data and PINs. If a card slot or terminal looks loose, mismatched, or suspiciously bulky, avoid using it and notify the retailer or bank immediately.
Key Takeaways
The holiday season should be enjoyable — not overshadowed by fraud, financial disruption, or identity theft. By cultivating a disciplined security posture, maintaining awareness of common scams, and implementing strong protective measures both online and in store, shoppers can significantly reduce their exposure to risk.
As cybercriminal activity surges during the holiday shopping season, heightened vigilance is essential. Taking these precautions will help safeguard your financial information and ensure a safer, more secure holiday shopping experience.
About the Author
Jeff has been with First National Bank of Omaha for more than 26 years and is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer. The executive leadership and oversight provided by Jeff in the development, management, and execution of information security for FNBO enables the company’s ability to posture and protect private, personal information, and assets of the company’s clients, employees, and business partners.
