WASHINGTON (November 20, 2018) – Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, consumers are being advised to adopt safe shopping practices before purchasing items online, in order to reduce their vulnerability to cyber-attacks. 

“While shopping online is a convenient way to avoid the holiday crowds, it’s important that consumers protect their wallets on the internet just as much as they would while shopping in a brick and mortar store,” says Moses Garuba, Ph.D., cybersecurity expert and Associate Dean of the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture.

Below, Garuba highlights nine opportunities for online shoppers to protect their personal accounts and information.

Limit disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII). For example, enter only basic information required during account creation, which refers to information you must provide in order to submit the form, etc. Required fields are usually accompanied by red asterisks. 

Increase the default security settings of your internet browser. Privacy is either basic or turned off for many websites. Review your web browser privacy and security settings to ensure that your settings are adequate. If available, use multifactor authentication. Always ensure that alerts and notifications are turned on. 

Choose strong passwords that are unique to each account. Ensure your passwords are not used across various accounts. Change your passwords periodically, about once every three months. 

Check for https in website URLs. This will ensure higher security of the website, as the information being passed through is encrypted and not easily read by hackers, making it harder for your information to be stolen.  

Limit your activity over public WiFi. For example, do not use public WiFi without a virtual private network (VPN). 

Pause and think before you click. Verify the legitimacy of a hyperlink before you click on it. If you are unsure of the sender, don’t click! 

If a website looks suspicious to you, then it is suspicious! Don’t make exceptions when it comes to the safety and security of your identity and money! 

Use credit cards or other secure third-party payment services such as PayPal. Debit cards are risky as they provide a direct link to your money. 

Always use common sense. If something feels uncomfortable, don’t do it! 

Garuba says the opportunities listed above should not only be acknowledged during peak hours, like Cyber Monday, but regularly, to ensure an adequate safe zone against cyber threats.  He is currently co-investigator of a three-year, $1,000,000 project focusing on advancing the field of cybersecurity. Garuba and Danda B. Rawat, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science and Director of the Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity program, are collaborating to design, develop and evaluate cyber-defense solutions. The project is being funded by the National Science Foundation. For more information on the project and the Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity, visit http://www.cea.howard.edu.

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About Howard University’s College of Engineering & Architecture

The College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) is one of Howard University’s 13 schools and colleges. The CEA comprises the five departments of Architecture, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering. The CEA offers fully accredited Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs. Graduate degree programs with abounding research opportunities offered in the engineering disciplines are Master of Science, Master of Engineering, and Doctor of Philosophy. Certificates in Cybersecurity and other professional programs are also offered. CEA graduates possess the ability to apply their knowledge of mathematics, science, design and engineering to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems and understand the impact of architectural and engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context. 

Media contact: Ramzey Smith, Office of University Communications, Ramzey.smith@howard.edu