Protect Yourself Online This Holiday Season

22 Nov 2011 · 1 min

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In this brief video, Robert Siciliano of Home Security Source delivers a holiday‑season cyber‑safety briefing based on the US‑CERT National Cyber Alert System. He urges online shoppers to protect themselves by (1) using and maintaining up‑to‑date antivirus, firewall, and anti‑spyware tools; (2) keeping all software—especially web browsers—current with the latest patches; (3) reviewing and tightening default software settings to the highest security level that still allows needed functionality; and (4) only conducting transactions with reputable, established vendors after confirming their legitimacy. The overall message is a concise, actionable checklist to reduce the risk of cyber‑crime during holiday shopping.

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Hi, I am Robert Siciliano with Home Security Source. With Christmas coming fast, this is a last-ditch effort to enlighten, empower, and protect online shoppers. The abridged source of the following information is from the National Cyber Alert System by US-CERT, a government organization. First, use and maintain antivirus software, a firewall, and anti-spyware software. Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date. Install software updates so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities. Evaluate your software settings. The default settings of most software enable all available functionality. Apply the highest level of security available that still gives you the functionality you need. Do business with reputable vendors before providing any personal or financial information. Make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established web vendor. I am Robert Siciliano with Home Security Source.