--- title: Make Purchases Online? Here Are 4 Things You (And Your Employees) Need To Do To Keep From Becoming A Prime Target For Cybercriminals description: Make Purchases Online? Here Are 4 Things You (And Your Employees) Need To Do To Keep From Becoming A Prime Target For Cybercriminals image: https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Blog-2a.jpg --- [Securafy Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) - [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) - [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) - [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) / Business Continuity Business Continuity # Make Purchases Online? Here Are 4 Things You (And Your Employees) Need To Do To Keep From Becoming A Prime Target For Cybercriminals Make Purchases Online? Here Are 4 Things You (And Your Employees) Need To Do To Keep From Becoming A Prime Target For Cybercriminals ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) By Randy Hall Updated Jul 2024 3 min read Share [**](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/11/22/make-purchases-online-here-are-4-things-you-and-your-employees-need-to-do-to-keep-from-becoming-a-prime-target-for-cybercriminals) [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/11/22/make-purchases-online-here-are-4-things-you-and-your-employees-need-to-do-to-keep-from-becoming-a-prime-target-for-cybercriminals&text=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EMake+Purchases+Online%3F+Here+Are+4+Things+You+%28And+Your+Employees%29+Need+To+Do+To+Keep+From+Becoming+A+Prime+Target+For+Cybercriminals%3C%2Fspan%3E) [**](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EMake+Purchases+Online%3F+Here+Are+4+Things+You+%28And+Your+Employees%29+Need+To+Do+To+Keep+From+Becoming+A+Prime+Target+For+Cybercriminals%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/11/22/make-purchases-online-here-are-4-things-you-and-your-employees-need-to-do-to-keep-from-becoming-a-prime-target-for-cybercriminals) ![](https://blog.securafy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Blog-2a.jpg?width=300&height=225&name=Blog-2a.jpg)[ROI Revolution](https://roirevolution.com/blog/2022-holiday-ecommerce-stats-trends-predictions/) estimates that e-commerce sales will eclipse $236 billion this holiday season. While that’s the most popular time for consumers to purchase online, in 2021 over $2 billion a day was made in online purchases. Chances are you and your employees make purchases weekly personally and for your business. And…chances are that cybercriminals are doing their best to capitalize on this to steal credit card numbers, logins and passwords and even you and your customers’ banking information. If they don’t follow these four practices to stay *safer* (notice I didn’t say safe) buying online, they could be exposing themselves and your business to identity theft, fraud, and more. 1. Don’t reuse passwords from site to site. If you use the same password for multiple sites, when one company’s records get breached (which happens every day) a criminal now has access to multiple accounts. So make sure you use different passwords for different sites. This does make things slightly more complicated for you, but it also makes it infinitely harder for cybercriminals. 2. Check the URL in the address bar. One indication that a website is secure is that it either has a small lock symbol to the far left of the URL or “https” in the URL. If you see a lock that’s unlocked or just an “http,” the site is not secure – do NOT provide any credit card information or bank account details. 3. Don't use a debit card to pay – only use a credit card. This way, if someone is able to access your account, you won’t lose what’s currently in your bank account. And most major credit cards have a $50 or less liability policy if unauthorized charges are made. So it’s important to watch those statements. If you do feel you’re the victim of fraud, make sure to contact your credit card company immediately. 4. Be wary of any texts or e-mails about package deliveries. Even if you have something you’re tracking, go back to the site you originally purchased from to check notifications that way. Any links from an unknown sender could infect the device you’re on, which could expose you to viruses and malicious software. While there are plenty of cybercriminals happy to scam consumers, who they really want to go after are businesses because they have much deeper pockets and there are multiple ways they can cause havoc. [Click here](https://blog.securafy.com/discoverycall/) to schedule a brief 15-minute call to discuss your situation, needs and concerns. If appropriate, we can conduct a simple security assessment for free to know for sure if your network and data is safe. To schedule a 15-minute call to make sure all hybrid employees have all the tools necessary to protect your company’s data, visit [https://www.securafy.com/discoverycall/ ](https://blog.securafy.com/discoverycall/)or call us at [va_phone phone2="false"]. Tagged Under Business Continuity In This Article Need Help With Your Current Setup? Talk through your current systems, risks, and support gaps with Securafy. [Book a Strategy Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) ## Join The Conversation Have a question or perspective on this topic? Add it below. ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) About The Author Randy Hall · CEO & Founder Randy Hall is the CEO and Founder of Securafy, with decades of experience helping organizations make smarter, safer decisions about technology. A frequent speaker and instructor at national IT events, Randy has advised thousands of organizations, from startups and SMBs to large enterprises and U.S. government entities, on secure, practical technology adoption. He writes about the decisions business leaders are often expected to make without enough context, including cybersecurity, compliance, AI, cyber insurance, IT strategy, and business resilience. Outside the office, you’ll often find Randy on Lake Erie enjoying time on his 38-foot Chris-Craft. **Writes about:** Cybersecurity strategy, compliance, AI security, business resilience, cyber insurance, SMB risk, IT leadership [More From This Author →](https://blog.securafy.com/author/randyhall) Related Articles Business Continuity [Compliance Risk Assessment: How Downtime Impacts Your Bottom Line](https://blog.securafy.com/compliance-risk-assessment-how-downtime-impacts-your-bottom-line) When systems go down, compliance obligations don't pause—and the financial consequences ... Jul 28, 2026 Compliance [HIPAA Security Rule Changes Are Delayed To 2027: Why Healthcare Organizations Should Not Wait](https://blog.securafy.com/hipaa-security-rule-changes-are-delayed-to-2027-why-healthcare-organizations-should-not-wait) The updated HIPAA Security Rule won't take effect until 2027, but healthcare ... 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Jul 8, 2026 Get Practical Cybersecurity Field Notes Monthly cybersecurity, compliance, and IT strategy updates from Securafy, written for business owners who need clear next steps. - Practical security tips from our Cyber Security Drip series - The Securafy Times, our monthly roundup on compliance and IT strategy - Occasional updates on new tools, guides, and research - No spam — unsubscribe anytime NIST CSF 2.0 Zero Trust Application Control CISA Aligned Enterprise Partner © 2026 Securafy — Columbus & Cleveland, Ohio [Main Site](https://www.securafy.com/) [Blog Home](https://blog.securafy.com/) [Contact](https://www.securafy.com/contact.html) [Privacy Policy](https://www.securafy.com/privacy-policy.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Randy Hall", "url" : "https://blog.securafy.com/author/randyhall" }, "dateModified" : "2024-07-24T20:03:05.529Z", "datePublished" : "2022-11-22T13:00:37.000Z", "headline" : "Make Purchases Online? 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