It's the most wonderful time of the year, but that sadly doesn't mean that cyberthreats are any less prevalent.
This Christmas, hackers and scammers will be looking to capitalise on the latest threats to find an angle that may let them access personal information, banking details or even hijack entire devices.
So to ensure you have a silent (security) night this Christmas, here's some top tips to stay protected over the festive season.
Beware the security risks of holiday brain
Now many of us are embracing hybrid working, it's vital to ensure that the boundaries between personal and work devices remain strong - for security reasons if nothing else.
Juggling work and personal devices can be tricky, given the convenience of checking your work email whilst at home over the holidays. However, accidentally opening up a scam link or email on your personal devices can have a serious knock-on effect, especially concerning legitimate-looking phishing emails, where hackers spoof emails or messages in an attempt to steal login details or personal information.
If you receive an email that looks or seems suspicious, it's best to take a few moments to examine it carefully - phishing messages often contain obvious spelling, imaging or formatting errors, or have clearly malicious links. Fortunately, Bitdefender Total Security goes beyond typical antivirus and malware blockers to keep you protected from all the latest phishing scams, including dedicated anti-phishing and anti-fraud systems to keep you safe online.
Gift yourself a VPN
Many of us are now experienced with using a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, allowing us to connect to workplace networks to access vital files or systems when out of the office.
However a VPN can also keep you safe at home, especially if (as mentioned above) you are using personal and work devices concurrently. A VPN allows you not just to disguise your internet connection to put off snoopers, giving you the chance to access entertainment and sports streaming services from different countries - perfect if you want to catch that niche Christmas movie or TV special.
Bitdefender Total Security includes a Secure VPN service that offers complete online privacy - and with a 200MB/day free allowance, you can carry out tasks such as online banking and other sensitive tasks safely.
Boost those passwords
Passwords have long been a vital part of anyone's security protections, so when it comes to remaining protected over the holidays, a quick spruce up of your details can be a useful way to help relax.
We're all hopefully aware of the importance of maintaining strong, unique passwords for all of your accounts, as hackers only need to get access to one account to potentially crack all the others.
We know that remembering all of this may sound like a big challenge, but Bitdefender Total Security features an in-built Password Manager service to help you keep track of all your login details, keeping all the information safe from hackers, and giving you one less thing to worry about.
Share the security love across all your devices
Christmas is typically a time for new additions to our tech family, as popular presents of phones, laptops, tablets and more provide more items to keep safe.
Juggling the different security needs of all your devices can be a challenge, as although PCs and laptops are often prioritised when it comes to security, the need to secure mobile and tablet devices is still crucial, especially if you're connecting work devices to home networks or vice versa.
Fortunately, Bitdefender Total Security is able to safeguard all your devices, running on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, including several generations of each software. It can be used to cover up to 15 devices per household, keeping you and your family safe online, whatever threats you face this Christmas.
For news on all the latest threats, you can also get real-time updates about malware outbreaks and scams on the Bitdefender Blog.
