In recent years, Cyber Monday has increased in popularity, as many Americans are finding the event as an alternative to fighting the Black Friday crowds. However, this increase in e-commerce also comes with extra risks, as cybercriminals target businesses and customers, stealing identities, generating scams, and taking advantage of vulnerability.

The Property Casualty Insurers Assn. of America urges customers to guard their identities and businesses to guard personal information, especially on Cyber Monday. With nearly one-third of cyber attacks aimed at businesses with 250 employees or smaller, and 50 percent aimed at businesses with fewer than 2,5000 employees, small businesses, in particular, are targets for cybercrime, warranting cybersecurity insurance.

"There is always a potential, when you purchase or sell something online, that you could be open to a cyber-attack without even knowing it," said David Golden, PCI's senior director, commercial lines policy.

"Every year more people shop online and thieves are hoping to steal your personal information. You can do a lot to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a cyber-attack. Think of it as being on guard against cyber pickpockets."

Businesses and customers need to be prepared for Cyber Monday in order to protect their personal information. Click through the following slides for PCI's safety tips for businesses and customers to be safe on the biggest Internet shopping day of the year.

Safety Tips for Businesses

Put appropriate security measures in place to protect customers' personal information.
Make sure appropriate security software and firewalls are being utilized to protect against criminals hacking into the website.
In order to protect the customers and the business, test e-commerce mechanisms and confirm that everything is secure.
Confirm with third-party vendors that they have proper security measures in place, as well.

Safety Tips for Shoppers

Confirm that the website is legitimate before you give out personal information.
Look for indicators; "https," rather than "http," at the beginning of the URL on a checkout page indicates that the site is secure.

Safety Tips for Shoppers

Prevent access to bank accounts by using a credit card when purchasing online rather than a debit card. Credit cards usually have a limit on your liability for unauthorized transactions. Frequently reviewing bank statements for unauthorized charges is imperative, and report any unauthorized charges or discrepancies to the credit card company as soon as possible.
Use high-quality Internet security software for further protection against cybercrimes.

Special Reports /

Safety Tips for Cyber Monday

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