Today is Cyber Monday, the day when online retailers expect sales to peak for the year as shoppers are expected to spend over $800 million this year. As shoppers return to work after the long holiday weekend and log on to find bargains, experts say spammers and scammers will be along for the ride. Last year phishing attacks shot up an amazing 300% at Thanksgiving, and this year is expected to be no different. Spammers and scammers know the weak economy has shoppers wanting bargains more than ever and they will take advantage of it.

          Threats are everywhere, PC security experts say, and Monday will bring a plague of them. Last year, phishing attacks soared 300% on Thanksgiving, compared with the previous few days, and this year is expected to be worse, computer-security firm Cyveillance says. It predicts cybercriminals this year will launch even more sophisticated phishing attacks on bargain-hunters, as well as on small businesses and credit unions that lack strong anti-virus software and firewalls.

How to protect yourself? Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and that your firewall is strong. When shopping, stick to sites you know and always go there by typing the site’s URL directly into your browser. Never click on a link in an email, and never ever click on a pop up-and remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is!

To protect your business, make sure your site is as secure as possible. Have your IT department go over it with a fine tooth comb and take care of any security holes or open ports right away. Turn off telnet and FTP services and make sure your site is monitored regularly so any hacking attempts can be dealt with quickly. The last thing your business needs in this economic climate is a security breach!