Ready for Black Friday? Guide to Safe Shopping

As Black Friday approaches, consumers and retailers are gearing up for deals—while cybercriminals prepare to exploit any vulnerabilities. With online shopping at its peak, hackers are poised to take advantage of the busiest, most hectic moments. 

Retailers face a significant challenge: safeguarding customer data and profits. A 2024 Verizon report shows that system intrusions, social engineering, and web vulnerabilities cause 92% of retail data breaches. Cybersecurity incidents in the retail sector surged nearly 80% last year, highlighting the growing sophistication of cyberattacks. 

Credential theft is now a top target for hackers, shifting focus from payment data as security improves. Stolen credentials give attackers access to internal systems, allowing for fraudulent purchases or further breaches. System intrusions, social engineering, and web application attacks remain common tactics. 

To protect against these threats, retailers should implement key security measures, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) to safeguard their users and networks, data protection solutions to limit access to sensitive information, secure coding, and web application scans to protect their web sites, and regular system updates to close unpatched security gaps. Firewalls and network segmentation can help prevent and contain potential breaches, while employee training on identifying phishing scams can prevent social engineering attacks. 

In the age of digital supply chain attacks and Black Friday phishing scams, online retailers need to ensure their consumers feel safe shopping with them online. Retailers who spend the effort to create a "Trust Center" page on their site, letting their customers know how they secure their infrastructure, how they protect and use their customer's data, and what compliance or trust certifications and seals they've earned, will likely drive more sales during the holiday season than ones who are not transparent about their security. Set up a Trust Center page to let customers know how you protect them, and they will want to do business with you. 

Black Friday is a prime opportunity for both shoppers and cybercriminals. Being prepared for digital risks is just as important as preparing for sales. Strong cybersecurity ensures a safer shopping experience and protects your business during this high-stakes season.