We’re all aware of the dangers of cyber hacking and identity theft and most of us will take care when connecting online not to give away too much information. But at this time of year, when online shopping hits its peak and families head off on holiday, it’s easy to let your guard down. Here, the experts share their top tips for staying safe online when you’re out of the office and going on holiday.

Keep your OOO simple

Senior Information Security Consultant in Westpac Group’s Cyber Culture team Sally Youden says online security starts before you leave your desk.

“While switching on your out of office message is an easy task, you might want to reduce the amount of information you provide,” she says. “It could be used for malicious purposes by cybercriminals looking for opportunities to find a ‘way in’ to an organisation.”

While it’s important to communicate clearly, she said you should avoid adding too much detail like mobile numbers and job titles for external OOO messages.

Secure your spend

Shopping online over the Christmas and January sales periods is a convenient method for purchasing from the comfort of your living room, but it can expose you to data breaches and identity theft. Experts at the University of Queensland advise sticking with a service like PayPal for payment, or even setting up a separate credit card with a low limit specifically for online purchases. Saving details like passwords  to online accounts will also expose your bank accounts to theft. Instead, set up multi-factor identification to minimise risk.

Parcel scams

Most of us are aware of the parcel scams where hackers send a SMS advising a parcel is being delivered to your address. However, at this time of year when there are so many deliveries happening, it can be hard to discern the real from the fake, especially when they are impersonating services such as Australia Post. Ms Youden’s best advice is to pause and think before you click on a link. If you’re not sure whether it’s your parcel, reach out to the delivery service independently to confirm the details.

Pop-up precautions

Pop-up ads and social media offers can be tempting but cyber security experts at NAB suggest it’s better to avoid clicking on them. If you find the temptation too much, consider installing a pop-up blocker.

“Those bright and shiny ads that pop up on your screen when shopping online or using social media are clever and persistent marketing tactics looking to promote products or services,” NAB advises. “They can also be used to deliver malicious software, direct you to dodgy webpages, or fake sales.”

Instead, if you see an attractive offer, go to their website independently and check reviews before handing over your details.

Frequent flyers

It’s the easiest thing to do when you’re waiting for your flight, but recharging at the airport can be a risky business. Known as ‘juice jacking’, public charging stations such as those at airports and hotels can be hacked by cybercriminals, Ms Youden says. NAB experts advise that the same goes for public wifi services.

“If you have to use public Wi-Fi, consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to create a secure connection. Avoid using free Wi-Fi to do any online banking or shopping, as this information may be exposed and misused.”

October was the month for going out and partying, November saw spending on fashion spike while December shoppers will be turning to credit to have a happy Christmas.

That’s the pattern of spending by Australian consumers for the past three months according to recently released data.

Research from the Commonwealth Bank showed spending on ticketing services rose by 27 percent over October, with tickets to concerts by Oasis, Luke Combs, Metallica and even the F1 in Melbourne proving irresistible for many Australians looking to enjoy themselves.

In November, Black Friday sales — a retail event borrowed from the United States to bridge the day between Thanksgiving and the following Monday — have become a strong feature in Australia in recent years. While the sales events can begin at the start of the month and last for weeks rather than days, the Commonwealth Bank noted 8 of the 12 Household Spending Insights experienced an uptick over the month. This was led by women’s and men’s fashion, with shoppers hoping to take advantage of sales ahead of Christmas.

CBA Chief Economist Stephen Halmarick said in a year where cost of living pressures have been felt across Australian households, the possibility of securing a bargain moved Christmas spending forward.

“We’re seeing Black Friday and holiday spending shift earlier as retailers entice shoppers with early discounts on discretionary items,” Mr Halmarick said. “Collectively, sales for October and November 2024 were up 2 per cent compared to the same period last year.” 

With Christmas Day a little over a week away, research by Roy Morgan, commissioned by the Australian Retailers Association showed more than half of Australian shoppers had begun their Christmas spend as early as October. The research also found that Australians are expected to spend $11.8 billion on presents this year, an increase of $1.6 billion on 2023.

Financial comparison service Finder research indicated more Australians will be leaning on credit to cover the shortfall in their budgets this year. The survey of 1009 respondents showed 26 percent regretted not saving more for Christmas, while a further 14 percent felt they had not saved enough.

In contrast, 34 percent revealed they had no need to set aside money for the holidays while another 26 percent had implemented a savings plan over the year to cover costs.

Sarah Megginson, personal finance expert Finder, said Australians struggling with Christmas expenses should avoid racking up debt on credit and instead focus on ways of trimming down costs.

“Many families have very little wiggle room in their budgets this festive season after a surge in living costs,” she said. “When you’re in this situation, planning and comparing to get the best deals and discounts is crucial.

“Avoid extending yourself and ending up with a credit card balance you’re struggling to pay off once the tree has been packed away.”

The Reserve Bank of Australia has decided to keep interest rates on hold at its meeting today, dashing hopes of an early Christmas present for mortgage holders.

In a widely anticipated decision, the RBA has once again cited persistently high inflation as the reason for the pause. While acknowledging inflation has fallen substantially since it peaked at 7.8 percent in December 2022, the board said in a statement that there was still work to be done.

“Inflation has fallen substantially since the peak in 2022, as higher interest rates have been working to bring aggregate demand and supply closer towards balance,” the RBA board said in a statement. “Measures of underlying inflation are around 3.5 percent, which is still some way from the 2.5 percent midpoint of the inflation target.

“The most recent forecasts published in the November Statement on Monetary Policy (SMP) do not see inflation returning sustainably to the midpoint of the target until 2026.”

In further signals that a rate cut is still some way off, the board noted that the economic outlook remained ‘uncertain’ both in Australia and overseas, where some central banks have made cuts to their cash rates in recent months.

“There remains a high level of uncertainty about the outlook abroad. Most central banks have eased monetary policy as they become more confident that inflation is moving sustainably back towards their respective targets,” the board said. 

“They note, however, that they are removing only some restrictiveness and remain alert to risks in both directions, namely weaker labour markets and stronger inflation. “Geopolitical uncertainties remain pronounced.”

CoreLogic research director Tim Lawless said the RBA board’s decision to stick to its ‘steady as she goes’ approach was finely balanced.

“Tight labour market conditions, juxtaposed with a combination of low productivity growth, weak economic conditions and high inflation demonstrates the ‘narrow path’ the RBA is traversing, keeping rates high while avoiding a recession or blow out in the unemployment rate,” Mr Lawless said. 

“So far, the RBA has held to this path; the economy has staved off a recession, albeit largely due to population growth and government spending.  

“Similarly, households are battling through a seven-quarter ‘per capita’ recession that has been compounded by a period of negative real income growth and a depletion of savings, yet we haven’t seen mortgage arrears rise beyond 2 percent.”

He noted that, despite the lack of movement in the cash rate, home values were up 5.5 percent over the past year, although there was now evidence the heat was coming out of the market.

“Home purchasing is winding down, total listing numbers rising, the clearance rate is falling and homes are taking longer to sell,” he said. “Affordability may increasingly see buyers drop out of the market amid high interest rate settings.”

Based on the data, he said it was still likely mortgage holders could see a rate drop in the first half of 2025. The RBA board will meet again in February.