Only about 16% of shoppers are planning to visit stores in-person this Black Friday. Instead, most shoppers are planning to go online to score deals on their holiday gifts.
But while online shopping helps you skip the crowds at the mall, it can be a cybersecurity minefield. After the online holiday shopping season is over, there is typically a significant increase in data breaches, says Gal Ringel, cybersecurity expert and CEO of Mine. Up to 30% to 50% of the annual average of data breaches happen in November and December alone, he says.
"The holidays are a bonanza for cybercriminals," says Dave Baggett, co-founder and CEO of anti-phishing start-up Inky. "People are buying a lot of things over a short period of time, and they are hurried about it. This presents opportunities for crooks."