Everyone is excited about the things they have been eyeing to purchase this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, one thing is for sure, hackers are more excited than you are.
Security experts have warned the public to be careful this Black Friday and on Cyber Monday. The reason is that this holiday season will be the perfect timing for the hackers to hack your account. The vulnerability of mobile security and online platforms are the target of this hack threat.
According to CIO, two security firms warned Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers on using their smartphone with their purchases. The hack threat is possible to start when consumers have accessed fake Wi-Fi hotspots inside the malls and the use of fake commerce applications.
An enterprise security firm Skycure warned the public to not access public Wi-Fi hotspots using a mobile phone to purchase online. It will only increase the risk of retrieving the user's account information. Skycure mobility strategist Brian Duckering said, "cyber criminals are increasing our risk of using mobile devices while shopping, whether it is Black Friday or Cyber Monday."
Another cyber security company RiskIQ said that some hackers are acting like they are associated with a brand and will lure shoppers with fake promo offers to steal shopper's personal information. RiskIQ also conducted a research that there are 8.4 percent to 16 percent of bogus apps that are linked to Black Friday or Cyber Monday, Network World reported.
In addition, RiskIQ added to do not install apps unless they are sure its legitimate applications. "Some fake apps contain malware that can steal personal information," the company added. RiskIQ also warned Black Friday or Cyber Monday shoppers of avoiding doubtful links on social media accounts or email accounts.
Meanwhile, RiskIQ has predicted that an average of 31 percent shoppers on Black Friday or Cyber Monday will use their mobile devices. On the other hand, Skycure analysts said that this year will have three times as many mobile payments than last year.