The amount of text phishing or smishing attacks have almost doubled when compared to last year's holiday shopping season as cybercriminals are increasingly preying on Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers.
According to Proofpoint, over two-thirds of all SMS messages sent worldwide are related in some form to either an order delivery or consumer retail brand. As consumers have become more familiar with interacting with businesses over text messages, cybercriminals have jumped at the opportunity to impersonate popular brands and delivery companies over SMS.
They are now using smishing attacks that claim to be from reputable companies as lures in an attempt to steal payment information and personal details from unsuspecting targets. While many of these lures request credit card information to resolve an issue supposedly related to the purchase or delivery of a nonexistent item, attackers also attempt to steal personal information through an enticing URL or landing page in other cases.
In a new blog post, Proofpoint highlights an “Early Bird Black Friday” package deliver smishing attacks where the landing pages presents an authentic looking package notification. However, clicking on the “Find My package” button and continuing further on the site leads to requests for personal information from the potential victim including their name, postal information and email address.
Switching from email to SMS
Although email users are gradually learning that opening attachments from strangers, clicking on questionable links and visiting webpages with multiple redirects are risky behaviors, the same can't be said for mobile users who aren't nearly as cautious.
For instance, text messages have a 98 percent open rate and recipients open 90 percent of their messages within three minutes. At the same time, text messages have an eight times higher click-thru rate when compared to email.
To avoid falling victim to smishing or other SMS-based scams this holiday season, mobile users should be alert and skeptical of any unexpected or unrequested holiday-based awards, prices and offers as well as wary of any package deliver notifications.
Proofpoint recommends that mobile users be on the lookout for suspicious text messages, carefully consider the risks before giving out their mobile phone number to businesses, avoid opening links in messages directly and instead copy them to their browser and be careful when downloading and installing new software to their Android smartphone or iPhone.
There is simply no better hair dryer than the Dyson Supersonic, and now this luxe device can be snapped up from eBay for a discounted price of AU$429. That’s a solid AU$170 saving on the premium hair dryer, which has a retail price of AU$599.
The deal is available on the black version of the Dyson Supersonic (HD03), and it’s exclusive to eBay Plus members. You’ll need to enter the code PLUSHD03 at checkout to redeem the offer, which will drop today (Wednesday, November 24) at 10am AEDT on eBay.
You’ll need to be quick to snag it though, as there’s only 100 units of the Dyson Supersonic available – head to eBay if you’re keen to buy.
The Dyson Supersonic is an excellent hair dryer, which comes with a suitably hefty price tag of AU$599. It’s comfortable to hold with easy-to-use settings, but most importantly, it has a powerful airflow (that’s quiet too). eBay Plus members can now score a AU$170 discount on the device at eBay, just enter the code PLUSHD03 to secure the deal.
This isn’t quite the lowest price we’ve seen on the Supersonic, but it’s close to it, and we feel pretty confident this model won’t drop any lower as we get closer to Black Friday.
The Supersonic has strong airflow that our review found dries hair quickly and styles it just as fast too. Better yet, it’s quieter than the competition. One of our gripes though, was that we found its control buttons to be awkwardly placed, but this is a small nitpick for an otherwise fantastic hair dryer.
It’s also compact, so it won’t take up a ton of space in your bathroom or your suitcase, and it can be versatile too thanks to its easy-to-use magnetic attachments. Do note that these attachments are sold separately, which you can check out on Dyson’s website.
Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals are appearing ahead of Cyber Monday itself, which is mere days away on November 29. The holiday shopping season is in full swing already, and there are so many excellent deals out there. But, wow there are a lot of them.
Just like every other year, retailers are cutting the prices on the best gaming laptops, and pretty much every popular model is going to have some kind of deal somewhere. If you're not intimately familiar with what makes a good laptop this makes it extremely stressful to shop for one.
Luckily here at TechRadar, not only are we digging through all the Cyber Monday deals to find all the biggest savings, but we're also using our laptop expertise to provide helpful advice. That way, when you're going out to buy one - whether for yourself or a loved one - you can spend less time worrying about specs and more time celebrating the season.
So, keep reading to find the best Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals that are already up. And be ready, because there are going to be even more when Cyber Monday officially arrives in a few days.
Today's best gaming laptop deals
If you can't wait to get your hands on a shiny new gaming rig, there are plenty of sales that are already live ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday that may have what you want at a solid bargain. Head below for a selection of the best current offers...
Asus TUF A17 Gaming Laptop:$1,149 $999 at Micro Center The Asus TUF A17 is one of the best budget gaming laptops around, and right now you can get it for even less, strapped with an RTX 3050 Ti, Ryzen 7 8-core CPU, and 16GB RAM for just $999 at Micro Center ahead of Cyber Monday.
MSI GS75 Stealth gaming laptop, Core i7, 16GB RAM, RTX 2060:$1,749$1,349 at Amazon
Save $400: Order the MSI GS75 gaming laptop with a 17.3-inch 240Hz display, Intel Core i7, Nvidia RTX 2060,16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD for $400 off from Amazon. This is a good choice to play games at medium settings.
Gigabyte Aorus 15P YD:$2,399$2,199 at Amazon Save $200: If you're looking for a gaming laptop that packs a serious punch without worrying about silly things like "portability" and "battery life" the Gigabyte Aorus 15P will absolutely destroy every game you throw at it. And you can save $200 ahead of Cyber Monday.
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED:$2,999$2,199...or less at Newegg Save up to $1,100: The Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED is not only incredibly powerful, with its 11th-gen processor and RTX 3080, but it's also incredibly sleek, making it an easy pick for any creative professionals too. And that OLED display will make any game absolutely pop. Ahead of Cyber Monday you can save a whopping $800 on this laptop – and if you don't mind mail-in rebates, you can shave an additional $300 off to knock it to $1,899.
Razer Blade 15 Advanced 2020:$2,599$1,785 at Amazon Save $815: The Razer Blade 15 is one of our favorite laptops every single year, and the 2020 version is no different. Both the CPU and GPU are one generation old at this point, but it's still more than enough to power the amazing 300Hz 1080p display. And, at just $1,785, this is a great deal on a premium gaming laptop.
Alienware m15 R4:$2,399$2,099 at Amazon Save $300: The Alienware m15 R4 is not only a premium gaming laptop that'll tear through any game you throw at it, but it's also just our favorite gaming laptop, period. It's both beautiful and powerful and you can save more than $300 ahead of Cyber Monday at Amazon.
Asus TUF Dash FX516PM |£1,019£899 at Amazon The Asus TUF Dash FX516 isn't the most premium gaming laptop in the world, but with a fast 144Hz display, an RTX 3060 and a Core i7 processor, it's an excellent little gaming laptop, especially when you can get it at such a big discount ahead of Cyber Monday.
Asus ROG Strix G513 |£1,599£1,249 at Amazon The Asus ROG Strix G513 is one of the best gaming laptops you can get right now, packed with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 and a top-end AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX. The best part is that ahead of Cyber Monday you can get it for just £1,399.
Acer Nitro 5, AMD Ryzen 7, 16GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3060:£1,099.99£949.99 at Amazon
Save £150 You can get gaming for less thanks to this incredible Acer Nitro 5 laptop, packed with an RTX 3060 GPU that gives you features like DLSS and raytracing to enhance your playing experiences.
Acer Nitro 5, Intel Core i5, 8GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3050 Ti:£899.99£749.99 at Amazon Save £150 If you're not looking to play the latest AAA titles, but you want a budget gaming device with the latest hardware then this Acer Nitro 5 could be exactly what you need. Plus, that RTX 3050 TI still gives you access to framerate boosting DLSS, giving you more power for your money.
Acer Nitro 5, Ryzen 5, 16GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 3060:£999.99£849.99 at Amazon Save £150 RTX 3060 gaming laptops are perfect for playing the latest game thanks to that boost from DLSS, and raytracing will make even the blockiest of games pop. This Acer Nitro 5 is ideal for people who want to game on a budget, but without sacrificing quality.
ASUS ROG Strix, AMD Ryzen 7, RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD:£941.04£879.99 at Amazon Save £61.05 Asus is known for making some seriously flashy gaming laptops, and this ROG Strix is no exception. With plenty of RGB lighting and the latest RTX 3050 Ti GPU, you can run your favourite games and see every frame thanks to that 144Hz display.
Acer Predator Triton, RTX 3060, Core i7, 16GB, 1TB SSD:£1,399.99£1,199.99 at Amazon
Save £200
The Acer Predator series is one of the best-known PC gaming lines, and for good reason. You're getting an RTX 3060 GPU, the latest 11th gen Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, making this not only suitable for playing the latest games, but also streaming them too.
Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals: buying tips
What kind of gaming laptop specs do I need?
When it comes to buying a gaming laptop, whether its on Cyber Monday or any other time of the year, it all comes down to what you plan to do with it, and which games you plan to play with it.
Because while an expensive device like a Razer Blade 15 with an RTX 3080 is super attractive, it's frankly overkill for people that just want something to play Paladins with their friends. For those people, something like the Asus TUF Dash F15 is going to be the perfect fit: it's light and portable, but powerful enough to play esports titles at high, competitive frame rates.
But if you really do want the power to plow through AAA titles like Far Cry 6 with ray tracing enabled, that's where something like the Razer Blade would come in. Especially if you want to play at a higher resolution, you're going to want something with a ton of graphics horsepower.
When will the best Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals start in 2021?
Cyber Monday will fall on November 29th this year, but as always we expect there to be plenty of activity on the prior weekend before the big day itself. It's likely there will be a number of continuation sales from Black Friday carrying over throughout the weekend, although Cyber Monday proper should herald a fresh wave of deals and price cuts. Subsequently, it's often prudent to wait until Cyber Monday if you spot a deal to your liking over the weekend - just in case it gets further discounted.
Where will the best Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals be?
Should I wait for Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals?
This is going to solely rest on how badly (or quickly) you need to get your hands on a shiny new machine. If you can wait, then we'd strongly advocate waiting until the Cyber Monday and Black Friday events as that's generally when the juiciest sales on laptops tend to crop up.
Another fantastic option is our roundup of the best cheap gaming laptop deals, a handy money-saving guide that's updated every week. At any time of the year, it'll feature our top picks for value from leading retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, and Dell, among others. If you're looking to save and you simply can't wait for Cyber Monday, it's definitely your best bet for a bargain.
3 best gaming laptops to watch out for on Cyber Monday
The Razer Blade always goes on sale for Black Friday
CPU: 11th-gen Intel Core H Series | Graphics: Up to GeForce RTX 3080 | RAM: Up to 16GB or 32GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD 360Hz, QHD 240Hz (G-SYNC) or 4K OLED Touch | Storage: 1TB PCIe
CPU: Up to 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK | Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4 2933MHz | Screen: 17.3" UHD 60Hz 25ms 500-nits display | Storage: Up to 4TB SSD + 512GB SSD
Blazing fast performance
Stylish chassis with plenty of ports
Battery life of less than 3 hours
We love the Alienware M17 because it combines extreme gaming performance with a beautiful 17-inch display. And while it's definitely not as thin and light as a Razer Blade, this large laptop is still pretty easy to carry around with you wherever you go. And, Dell is usually pretty good at putting its Alienware laptops on sale for Black Friday, so now might be the time to jump in on it.
Right now, the Asus Zephyrus G15 is ranked as our best gaming laptop - and it's not hard to see why. It's thin, light and sleek while also packing enough power, thanks to the AMD Ryzen 9 chip housed within. And, while this is a very expensive device, we usually see at least one flash sale on Black Friday for an Asus Zephyrus laptop. If that happens this year, our advice is to jump on it as soon as you can.
NordLocker has announced the launch of its new mobile wrapper apps for Android and iOS that allow users of its encrypted cloud storage service to bring their end-to-end encrypted files with them wherever they go.
These new apps are a direct result of the company introducing its Web Access feature which allows its encryption software to be used while away from a computer.
NordLocker's mobile wrapper apps for Android and iOS are now available to download and the company is also working on native applications for the service. With its mobile wrapper apps, users can upload files from their device to their private cloud, reset their master password, create new encrypted cloud folders or lockers for their files, manage their files, export and download files from the cloud and access their Nord Account and adjust app security settings.
Head of product at NordLocker, Aiste Araminaite-Pivore explained in a press release how these new mobile wrapper apps allow users to take their encrypted files with them, saying:
“It’s a big step towards data security on the go. One of our core goals is to ensure that our users’ privacy does not depend on the device or operating system they use. This is why we’ve recently introduced Web Access, a feature to make sure your files are always secure and within reach.”
Easier sharing
In addition to its native iOS and Android apps, NordLocker is also working on a number of new features to provide its users with more convenience and improve file accessibility according to Araminaite-Pivore.
NordLocker users can already use the traditional login process and one-time codes to access their cloud lockers but now they can also use third-party logins from Google and Apple to enter their existing Nord Account which allows them to manage NordVPN, NordPass and the company's other services.
At the same time, cloud locker sharing will make it easier for NordLocker users to share their encrypted files with others. To do so, they just need to enter the receiver's email address to make their locker appear in their app and if they aren't a NordLocker user yet, they'll get an invitation. The company is also working on a feature that will allow users to share their files via a link so that others can open them without NordLocker.
It's worth noting that NordLocker's Premium plan which includes unlimited file encryption and 500GB of private cloud storage for $3.19 per month or 2TB for $7.99 per month is currently 60 percent off.
If you're looking to bag a bargain VPN this Black Friday, then you're in luck. Perhaps even more so than we've seen in previous years, there's a real scramble from providers to lure you their way with what can only be described as a race to the bottom.
But that's fantastic news for you, as it means that you can grab some mind-blowing prices for a top bit of tech. And leading the way is PureVPN.
The provider started off by discounting the monthly rate of its five-year subscription to $1.33 per month. And then it gave TechRadar an exclusive discount code to take an extra 10% off.
PureVPN |5 years | $1.13 a month with code tech15 This VPN deal really is ridiculously cheap! You can have up to 10 devices logins on one account, it offers over 6,000 servers, claims fast speeds, and has a good reputation for unlocking geo-restricted apps and streaming services.
Without going for an inferior free VPN, no provider comes close to touching this pricing. Just take a look at our dedicated VPN deals guide if you don't believe us.
It is worth noting that - just like pretty much every other VPN company out there - PureVPN requires that you pay the whole amount upfront. So although it's advertised as being $1.33 per month, you'll have to pay for the whole five years. With the 15% discount, that means a cost of $67.96.
But if you're not happy with Pure's services, it also offers a 31-day money-back guarantee. That makes this a real risk-free Black Friday bargain.
As we say, pretty much every provider under the sun has released their Black Friday VPN deals now. And if you wanted to go for a service with a better reputation than Pure, then there are still some great prizes to be had.
Private Internet Access can go even cheaper if you're happy to commit to three years. Having thrown in an extra three months free, the monthly cost is now set at a tiny $2.03.
There are loooooads of VPN uses. Virtual Private Networks allow bypass geo-restricted content. So if you wanted to watch a Netflix show that is geo-restricted to a location, a VPN changes your IP address, so your device gets tricked into thinking it's in a different location. Make sure to check out our Netflix VPN guide if your primary reason for a VPN is streaming, while they're also brilliant for letting you watch sports and shows that are only available overseas.
Some people will be more concerned about the fact VPNs help you browse the internet securely. A VPN uses encryption technology that basically means your browsing and activity will be anonymous. So if you're worried about your cyber security, a VPN is definitely the way to go.
Beyond that, they help get around blocked websites and apps in countries that ban them, assist in secure online banking and shopping (especially on public Wi-Fi), and have even been known to get around broadband bandwidth throttling and bag cheaper flights on comparison sites, too.
Want extra security? Check out our best antivirus software packages
