Four Steps to Improve Online Security During The AI-Powered Holiday Season
As we prepare for the holiday season, consumers and businesses alike are gearing up for the busy shopping period with heightened online activity. But this year marks the emergence of a new trend reshaping how we think about this bustling time of year – the first “AI-powered” holiday. Across every industry, and notably in advertising and marketing, AI is taking center stage, offering greater opportunities for businesses of all sizes through AI-powered automation tools and GenAI solutions to help transform how they approach the critical sales period. According to a recent study from Salesforce, generative AI and social media will influence $194 billion in consumer spending during the holidays.
However, amid the festivities and the spirit of giving, this season also creates an opportunity for bad actors to target online marketplaces. October marks the early start of the holiday season and the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminding people and businesses of the importance of keeping their digital footprint smart and safe.
Today’s Malware and Phishing Landscape
While AI is an excellent tool for consumers and businesses to offer personalized customer service and commerce experiences, it also poses a new vector for threat actors to leverage for security breaches or impersonation efforts – one that we work hard to mitigate.
Moreover, the holiday season is prime time for phishing scams aimed at stealing sensitive and personal information. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), phishing was a top complaint received from people in 2022. These threat actors often aim to propagate across various internet services, including social media platforms, ad networks, file-sharing services, and even niche websites. This ensures a complex campaign that is resilient to take-down attempts.
As platforms like Meta continue to roll out protections for businesses, there are simple ways people and businesses can protect themselves as well. Here are four steps to improve online security and keep your online accounts secure this holiday season:
Stay alert to unsolicited messages: As cyber criminals frequently masquerade as trusted entities to deceive individuals and gain access to their data, people must take extra caution to verify the message’s source - especially if it is unsolicited. Carefully examining email addresses and website URLs is necessary to confirm authenticity and prevent falling victim to imitations of well-known brands and organizations. People can report suspicious messages to Meta through the report links that appear on our apps.
Enhance your account security with two-factor authentication: This powerful safeguard adds an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access and can be one of the most effective tools for combating account compromise attempts. For businesses, using two-factor authentication reduces the risk of an attacker gaining access to your account and impersonating your brand to your customers. Similarly, expanding authorization requirements for sensitive business account actions like accessing a credit line or changing business administrators is now necessary. To complete these changes, business owners will be prompted to authenticate with two-factor authentication – a unique code sent to a mobile device.
Leverage platform login alerts and password managers: Enable login alerts on your apps to receive notifications of login attempts by unauthorized users. It’s also advisable to routinely review your recent sessions to ensure all devices with access to the account are recognized. Consider using a password manager service to generate strong and unique passwords so you don’t have to remember them. Reusing a password across multiple apps or online services can put all your accounts at risk if one account becomes compromised or the password is easy to guess.
Use secure transaction and payment methods: When shopping for holiday gifts online, conduct thorough research before making a purchase. That means examining the seller’s profile, product reviews and ratings. When ready to make a purchase, ensure the payment method and transaction are secure. For example, look for a padlock symbol in the browser window frame during payment, and try to avoid transactions requiring customers to use a gift card for payment.
This AI-powered holiday season promises a new horizon of convenience, personalization and innovation for consumers and businesses. To prepare for the festive months ahead, we all must do our part to take the steps necessary to verify, notify, and remain proactive against malicious activity.
