With the holidays coming up and more of us conducting our holiday shopping online due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is important to shop online safely.

Shop safely with these tips:

• Be aware of holiday scams. Only shop with retailers that are trustworthy and familiar. Always research the company before purchasing and read reviews about the website’s legitimacy.
• Make sure the website is secure. In the website address, look for “https.” The “s” stands for secure; there should also be an image of a padlock next to the URL.
• Use a proper payment method. Avoid using debit cards, prepaid cards or checks. Instead use reputable online payment services such as PayPal.
• Use secure WI-FI and strong passwords. Connect to a secure VPN before shopping online and use hard-to-track passwords when creating accounts with online retailers.

For more resources visit the Office of Information Security blog.