In this interview, security specialist Robert Siciliano explains the rise of Cyber Monday—originating around 2005 as a surge in online orders following Black Friday—and warns that criminals target this high‑traffic period. He outlines a series of practical precautions for consumers: avoid shopping on work computers because employers may monitor activity; use a secure, wired internet connection or ensure Wi‑Fi is protected with a password; stick to familiar, reputable retailers and research unknown sites before entering personal data; verify that payment pages use HTTPS and display the lock icon; keep printed receipts to reconcile against credit‑card statements; regularly update antivirus and anti‑spyware definitions; monitor credit‑card statements weekly and dispute unauthorized charges within 60 days (two billing cycles); prefer credit cards over debit cards to limit direct bank exposure; and contribute to consumer‑review sites (e.g., epinions.com) to warn others about fraudulent merchants. The interview emphasizes that many shoppers are unaware of these risks, treating the internet as a “wild west,” and that vigilance and informed habits are essential to protect identity and finances during holiday online shopping.
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Black Friday came and went, but the shopping frenzy continues today, only this time it happens online. It's called Cyber Monday, where online retailers hope to make a killing by offering some enticing deals for those who like to shop on the computer. There are some dangers involved, however. Joining us this morning with some important information on online shopping is security expert Robert Siciliano. Robert, great to see you again. We appreciate you coming. Give us a little history here if you can. When did this whole online phenomenon, as far as Cyber Monday, when did that really start to take hold?
Around 2005, retailers started to see that there was a big surge in online orders right after Black Friday.
Right.
And criminals are also paying attention, and this is their time of year seeking opportunity.
People still feel comfortable with all that though? There have been some reports of ID theft and other companies whose credit card information has been stolen, but obviously if this is such a big deal, people still feel comfortable doing the shopping online.
Well, I believe that people feel comfortable because they don't know what the dangers are.
Okay.
And there are a lot of dangers out there, and the internet is a The wild, wild web. And if you're not paying attention, if you don't know what you're doing, you could be entering personal information into a rogue website and get your identity compromised.
Alright, there's things we need to go through here step by step, so let's talk about them. Along those lines, the first thing you have is don't shop at work. And that goes for you around here, pay attention to that too.
Well, for one, you're sapping company resources and you really shouldn't be doing that. Number two, what people don't realize is that a lot of employers now have some type of monitoring software where they monitor what you do, websites you visit, and so forth. And there could be somebody within the company that has access to your personal information.
Let's talk about another one. Shop from a secure wired location. So if you get a laptop and a wireless device, not a good idea to do your shopping online there.
I would not shop in an internet café or a coffee shop or even at home. If you have a wireless connection to the internet, make sure that it is secured. Make sure there's a network key so that somebody has to enter a username and a password to get on that wireless connection.
Other piece of advice: use sites that you're familiar with. Maybe you have a track record with them, you've had a good experience in the past.
Do business with those who you know, who you like, and especially who you trust. Any rogue websites you're not familiar with, you gotta do some searches on them.
I look for reports of problems. Where do you go to find that type of information?
What I would always do is before you enter personal information into a website you're not familiar with, do some searches on them to find out if anybody's had problems with them or if in fact they are legit.
Alright, the next one: look for an S or check for an S in the address bar. HTTPS.
Exactly.
What does the S mean? I've never heard this.
In the address bar which is HTTP, it's supposed to say HTTPS as in secure. Meaning that the page where you are going to enter your personal information is a secure page. Especially the order form where you enter your name and your credit card information. It has to say HTTPS and there should be a little lock somewhere on the page showing you it's a secure page.
I've never known that, so that's a good piece of information to look for right there. Keep a printed record of your transaction, the next thing you tell folks to do.
In the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping, make sure that you have printed receipts so that when you check your credit card statements, you can compare them with what's on their statement.
Also, update your antivirus and anti-spyware software. Your computer usually alerts you when you need to do that.
It does, but a lot of people shut that popup down. Right. You have to make sure that your PC is as secure as it needs to be, as it should be, meaning updating all your antivirus and spyware definitions so that they're as secure up to that day.
And of course, always good advice, you tell people review your credit card statements online.
I check my credit card statements every week, especially during the holiday season, making sure that every single charge has been authorized by me that I haven't been double charged or fraudulently charged.
What if you get into a situation where you've done some shopping online and then you do come across a problem? What do you have— what can you do then?
Well, here's the thing. You have to check your credit card statements very frequently, at least every 30 days when you get your paper statement, or check them online. When you check your credit card statements, you have up to 60 days to refute unauthorized charges. After 60 days, you may very well eat the charges that the identity thief made under your name. You only have 2 billing cycles to refute those charges, otherwise you're going to pay for those goods.
So if you're using your credit card on anything, especially online, you've got to maintain and be diligent about checking that stuff.
You have to. It's your responsibility because the bank's not going to do it for you. Also, I recommend using a credit card versus a debit card. If you use a debit card and that's compromised, that's money out of your bank, whereas if it's your credit card, that's money out of the credit card's account.
And lastly, if you have a problem with something online, you talked about looking for reports and information on it. How can you contribute to that to make sure other people don't fall victim protect them like you did.
There are all kinds of websites out there like epinions.com and others that monitor all of the chats and logs, and they look for all the complaints and so forth regarding different companies. So you want to make sure that you're doing business with a company that has a good track record, a good history.
All right, and before you do any cyber shopping today, we suggest your first website you visit is Robert Siciliano's website, idtheftsecurity.com. You'll get more information on this and make sure you're going about it the right way. Be careful out there. As you say, it is the wild, wild west. Robert, appreciate it. Thank you. Great advice as always. Thank you, Kim. To you.
