Australian shoppers have urged to be vigilant during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as cybercriminals look to exploit an increased rush for bargains. The online shopping deals bonanza kicks off next week, with 46 per cent of Australians planning to do their holiday shopping on Black Friday or on Cyber Monday on December 2 — up from 38 per cent last year, according to new data from Cyber Safety company Norton. The Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report found 62 per cent of Aussies admitted to being easily swayed by discounts — up from 57 per cent last year - and one in 16 (6 percent) would purchase from a questionable website or third-party seller.
Threat data found while shoppers are keen for discounts, "malvertising" and adware are the cyber threats which increase the most dramatically during the holiday season. During last year's shopping season, malvertising attacks, malicious ads often seen by users when searching for sales, increased by more than 53 percent. Adware, malicious software often distributed via malvertising, increased by 227 percent during the same period.
Norton Managing Director Asia Pacific Mark Gorrie said shoppers need to be vigilant while getting a good deal, as he projected an increase in delivery scams this year. "Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer great opportunities to save, especially as many Australians are feeling the pressure of rising living costs," he said. "It’s expected that Aussies will spend over $6 billion across this four-day shopping.