This week and next sees the events that are Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There will no doubt be great bargains to be had, however; as with any event, there are some out there looking to exploit our appetite for a bargain.

When you see a message arriving in your inbox, advising you can buy the latest tech for half the price you’ve seen elsewhere, think carefully before engaging with that e-mail. Research the company outside of the e-mail. Don’t assume that links to legitimate looking sites from the e-mail confirms the legitimacy of the company. Check the physical address of the seller on Google Maps, have a look to see if there is a landline number you can contact the company on and whether they have good reviews on sites such as Trustpilot.

There are many reasons fake sites are set up, the most obvious being that you pay for goods which never arrive and hand over your hard-earned cash. Others might include getting you to “sign in” using a username and password you use on other sites so personal data can be accessed or your email taken over.

The National Cyber Security Centre has some great tips here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/black-friday-online-sales-advice and more general online shopping guidance here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/shopping-online-securely

Of course, due to the nature of these events, there are possibly some fantastic bargains to be had and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on them! Just think twice (or three times) before handing over any money or personal details.

Happy bargain hunting!

Remember IlluminoIT can provide training to help your business and workforce stay secure online. Get in touch with us about our security reviews and training.