(Redmond, WA, Tuesday, November 23, 2021) – A new survey from Microsoft found that online security is falling by the wayside amid other concerns this holiday season, allowing scammers to take advantage of the distraction. The survey found that less than half of shoppers are prioritizing the safety and security of their personal information – 69% are most concerned with finding the best price and 54% are worried about ongoing supply chain issues.

As a result, one in five consumers aren’t afraid to shop with third-party sellers to get those must have holiday gifts, putting their personal and financial information at risk. What’s more, people are still falling victim to online scams. One in four shoppers have admitted to buying an item that turned out to be nothing like it was described online.

To help consumers protect their information this holiday season, Microsoft has a few tips to keep shoppers safe:

• Think before you click: Does that email offering gift cards or extreme discounts seem a bit “phishy?” You’re probably right. Before you click, hover over any suspicious links to see if the web address matches what’s mentioned in the message.
• Shop securely with your browser. Browsers like Microsoft Edge have built-in local data encryptionto keep your personal information, like credit card information, safe.
• Go passwordless: There are a whopping 579 attacks on passwords every second – that’s 18 billion every year. Enable passwordless login and skip the frustration of remembering your password. Should any of your saved logins become compromised, Password Monitor will notify you, allowing you to quickly change your password with the Easy Update feature in Edge.

Soundbites: Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security, Compliance & Identity

• WHILE FINDING THE BEST PRICE IS ALWAYS TOP OF MIND FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPERS, THIS YEAR MANY ARE ALSO WORRIED ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES. IN FACT, IT’S THE SECOND BIGGEST CONCERN FOR SHOPPERS. DON’T LET THESE WORRIES MAKE YOU MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SCAMS WHEN SHOPPING ONLINE. IF THE DEAL SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. SIMPLE STEPS LIKE HOVERING OVER A LINK TO CHECK THE URL BEFORE CLICKING OR CHECKING THE SENDER EMAIL TO MAKE SURE IT’S LEGITIMATE CAN HELP YOU STAY SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
• MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF SHOPPERS ARE FOCUSED ON FINDING THE BEST PRICE WHEN SHOPPING ONLINE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, YET LESS THAN HALF SAY THEY CONSIDER THE SAFETY OF THEIR PERSONAL DATA. BE VIGILANT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND ENSURE YOU ARE SHOPPING ON TRUSTED SITES – DON’T LET JACK FROST FREEZE YOU OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNTS!
• WEAK PASSWORDS ARE THE ENTRY POINT FOR THE MAJORITY OF ONLINE ATTACKS. IN FACT, THERE ARE 579 PASSWORD ATTACKS EVERY SECOND. BEFORE YOU START MAKING YOUR ONLINE PURCHASES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, SHORE UP YOUR SECURITY BY UPDATING PASSWORDS USING FEE TOOLS LIKE PASSWORD MONITOR IN MICROSOFT EDGE. OR BETTER YET, WHERE POSSIBLE, GO PASSWORDLESS. ELIMINATING WEAK PASSWORDS CAN HELP KEEP YOUR HOLIDAY LESS SCARY AND MORE MERRY.