If you haven’t already started shopping for the holidays this year, I’m predicting you’ll probably be starting soon! After all, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner.

For those who live outside the United States – Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.  As you may already know, Cyber Monday is the biggest online holiday shopping day of the year that falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

During this intense period of online shopping, spammers are preparing to kick their search engine poisoning efforts into high gear. Which could mean shopping on the internet is like dealing with a virtual landmine for shoppers.

Here are a few tips to learn how to stay safe on the internet when you’ll be most at risk:

• First of all, make sure you have the latest mal-ware and anti-virus protection software loaded on your computer. My personal choice is AVG, the free version.
• Scrutinize all search engine results thoroughly BEFORE clicking through to the site.
• Be cautious of pop-up and banner advertisements that mimic legitimate displays or try to promote security products.
• Don’t accept or open suspicious error displays from within a web browser because these are often methods rogue security software scams use to lure you into downloading and installing their fake product.
• Malicious attacks can result in the hijacking of open sessions, so be sure to log out of a website when your session is complete.
• Also, regularly review your credit card and other financial information for signs of irregular activity.

From my home to yours, I want to wish you all a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

About Maureen McHale

As a results orientated web marketing consultant, Maureen McHale specializes in crafting relevant marketing messages for articles, press releases, brochures, websites, email campaigns, promotions, social media and more. Providing marketing help to a variety of companies in numerous industries, Maureen has the ability to not only manage your brand, but to create and implement marketing campaigns as well. Coupled with her marketing skills, Maureen's website development, content management and search engine optimization skills make her a clear choice to get the job done right. When looking for ways to take your company to the next level, fill gaps in staffing, or receive guidance and hands on assistance for your marketing needs, call Maureen, 352-406-2011.