Valentine’s Day is Thursday, and it’s one of the busiest days of the year for online retailers. It’s also a busy day for online cybercriminals who use the flurry of purchasing activity as an opportunity to steal credit card information and spread computer viruses and worms.

AVG Technologies, a software and online services company, recommends that consumers, including small-business owners, be aware of online traps, including last-minute discount codes and solicitations from unfamiliar websites.

Here are tips on how to keep your online accounts, computers, smartphones and tablets safe:

• Be sure you recognize a website’s URL or check to see if the Web address begins with “https,” an indication that a site is secure, before entering credit card information into that website. Smartphones and tablets make URLs difficult to read because the full Web address isn’t visible.

• Don’t open suspicious email links or e-cards unless you know they’re legitimate. Link scanning technology is available to detect malicious sites and stop a virus before it infects your device.

• Clean out the cookies on your computer after making an online transaction.

• Log out of websites after use and use strong computer and website passwords so no one can access your accounts.

• Don’t share potentially malicious links with customers, other business owners or friends.

Source: avg.com