From deep discounts to one-click ordering, many consumers are going digital this holiday shopping season. But buyer beware: With the ease of online shopping comes the added step of protecting your personal information.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the University of Central Florida\u2019s two-time national champion cyber defense club, Hack@UCF, wants to help you shop safely and securely this holiday season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to protect yourself online because a lot of your personal information is now digitally accessible,\u201d said Mark Ignacio, a computer science major who serves as president of Hack@UCF, also known as the Collegiate Cyber Defense Club @ UCF.<\/p>\n
In anticipation of two of the biggest holiday shopping days of the year, retailers unleashed their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals weeks before Thanksgiving. And with stores like Amazon and Wal-Mart going head-to-head for your business, the deals are often just as good online as they are in store, leaving many to opt for online shopping to avoid the crowds.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that it\u2019s faster and more convenient to use your information for good things like paying bills and renewing a passport online, it\u2019s also easier, faster and more convenient for criminals to get that information,\u201d Ignacio said.<\/p>\n
Gaelan Adams, an information technology major and Hack@UCF spokesman, knows all too well what it\u2019s like to have your credit card compromised. Last year, just four hours after making a purchase from a major tech retailer, the company was hacked.<\/p>\n
The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that Americans plan to do almost half of their holiday shopping online this year with profits expecting to hit almost $105 billion. Adams says hackers are on high-alert during the high-traffic shopping season, looking for any way to access your personal information.<\/p>\n
\u201cCriminals are more aware because during the holiday shopping season because people are a little more loose with their cash and not watching [bank statements] as closely,\u201d said Adams. \u201cThey know consumers are not closely monitoring what they are spending on when buying gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Adams and Ignacio agree that trusting your gut is the best thing you can do to protect yourself when online shopping.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf something feels fishy when it comes to e-commerce, it usually is,\u201d Ignacio said. \u201cOur families raised us with street smarts and common sense that applies to the physical world. With so many security incidents online, it\u2019s clear that this needs to be done with the digital world, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hack@UCF hosts information security awareness meetings that are open to the public every Friday in from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., and the students often speak at conferences and local high schools to boost information security awareness not just at UCF, but in the community.<\/p>\n
Here are Hack@UCF\u2019s top 10 do\u2019s and don\u2019ts of online shopping:<\/p>\n