We shared the news recently how the FBI is warning California to be on the watch for COVID-19 related scams, but it’s not just our state that needs to be on guard – it’s the whole world. Hackers, doing what they do, are taking advantage of the chaos and confusion the pandemic has created and are working overtime putting COVID-related scams to work. While everyone can be a target, unfortunately some that are being targeted more than others are among those on the front line, doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, police and other first responders.

Google warned recently that it has been identifying more than 240 million Covid-related spam messages per day, and that the previous week it had detected 18 million phishing and malware emails related to the pandemic each day. Overall, Gmail blocks more than 100 million phishing emails daily.

If you’re a serious social media user, you’ve probably got some basic safety protocols already in place. But we feel that you can never be too safe, so for all you savvy social users we’ve rounded up some advanced tactics to guard your safety both online and off.

Tip #1: The right mindset

Understanding that what goes online stays online – practically forever – is something that social media users of every age should know. When sharing information online it is important for people to realize the permanence of what they post, share or even download. Once information goes on the Internet through social networking it is difficult, if not impossible, to remove. Even for platforms such as Snapchat or Instagram stories that “disappear” within 24 hours, the information may be captured via screen shot and shared anywhere, anytime. Depending on what was originally submitted, those deleted posts can prove detrimental for future job prospects, relationships, and even leave a person vulnerable to crimes.

From cyberbullying to cybercrime, the annual Safer Internet Day event is proclaimed to raise awareness of emerging online issues and promote safer internet experiences. If you leave your smart phone unlocked or use passwords like “abc123” you might start thinking differently after seeing these statistics. According to data gathered from top tech organizations, 2019 was a big year for cybercrime with 2020 projected to just keep getting worse.

• One cyber-attack happens in every 39 seconds
• Hackers stole credit card or financial information from 23% of US people
• The US lost between $57 billion and $109 billion due to cybercrime
• Phishing caused a loss of $1.48 billion
• Email and phone are the most common access for hackers
• 20% of teenagers received an unwanted sexual solicitation when they use the internet
• At least 500,000 predators are active online every day, estimated by FBI

Scary? You bet. Education and awareness are two of the easiest and most powerful tools that we all have, as long as we use them. To help you protect your home, business and family from cybercrime, we’ve rounded up the best of our resources here – for home, for business and even for the holidays.

If you think you’ve got some time before the holidays are officially here, you’d be wrong. Black Friday deals are already in our Inboxes – and it’s not even Black Friday yet! Costco has had Christmas merchandise out since September. And Amazon Prime packages are piling up on porches as parents get a head start on holiday shopping. Along with the fun and good cheer of the season, however, comes a darker side with hackers, phishers, porch pirates and other not-so-jolly characters working hard to take advantage of distracted shoppers and deal-seekers.

To keep your season merry and bright, we’ve rounded up a few tips for using the internet to protect your finances, purchases, home, and even your happiness.