How to stay safe shopping online

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“Many online stores will be using Flash technology to make their goods look sparkly and wonderful,” Cluley said. ‘We have seen a rise in the number of poisoned adverts on websites.”

“This is where you see websites offering third party websites sometimes using Flash or Javascript, which then themselves infects your computer.”

Phishing attacks continue, and the sheer amount of spam mail means that many of less online-savvy shoppers will fall for an email trying to push a Christmas offer, directing you to their site, which will often be malicious.

“Every time you click on those links, you are encouraging people to spam you more and more,” warned Cluley.

Often during the Christmas period, computer users will be tempted to use unsecured Wi-Fi connections to browse for presents, especially with the new wave of smartphones that can do this easily.

This might be a problem, as security researchers recently revealed how they took email usernames and passwords from four of the most popular smartphones on the market using an insecure Wi-Fi connection and a laptop.

“There might be a risk of poisoned hotspots, where your data can be read if you are connecting to someone else’s Wi-Fi,” Cluley said.

Rik Ferguson, security solutions architect, Trend Micro

It is not a good idea to use the same password on every site that you visit, especially if it involves online banking, according to Ferguson.

Ferguson has three passwords that he used regularly. However, if he is browsing a site which he knows he isn’t going to use again, he makes up a password, as it isn’t important to remember it.

He said: “For example if I was buying pots and pans, which I never buy – perhaps I’m buying them for someone else – I’ll just make up the password.”

Ferguson also said that in a consumer or household environment, he believed that it was fine to write down your passwords somewhere safe.

“To be honest, if somebody’s in your home rifling through your belongings looking for your passwords, you’ve got bigger problems,” he said.

He warned though that this should never be done in an enterprise environment.

If a shopper was particularly worried, Ferguson revealed that there were banks and financial institutions that offered a one-time credit card that gave you a number that when used, was gone.

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