Are you contributing to the $33 or so billion that will be spent online for holiday shopping this year? If so, read this.

After you have searched to find that perfect gift, the next step to make sure your days stay merry and bright is to determine that the site you want to purchase from is as secure as can be.

Before going on that online shopping spree, make sure your anti-virus and spyware protection are up to date. Run a complete system scan after a long shopping session and once your shopping is complete to make sure your system stays squeaky clean.

Check to make sure that the site where you wish to shop is secure. Look for a closed padlock on the lower right hand browser status bar before you enter your personal and financial information. If you don’t see one, don’t buy from that site. I am also suspicious of websites that do not offer a phone number to call.

Read the privacy policy to find out how the site uses your personally identifiable information. By law, if a merchant is collecting financial information, the website must have a privacy policy. But, just because there is a privacy policy that doesn’t mean your information is being kept private. What is does mean is that the owner of the website must tell you what they are doing with the data they collect about you.

Watch for the changing website URL when you are asked to provide payment information. What occurs with an encrypted or secure server is that the address changes from one that starts with http to shttp or https. If that doesn’t happen, don’t type in your data.

Keep a paper trail. Print out and save records of your online transactions including emails sent and received the phone number of the business, the product description and price. Match them up with your credit card statement as soon as it arrives to make sure there were no unauthorized charges added on.

These simple precautions will assure you have a holly jolly holiday season!

Be sure to contact your Privacy Gurus® with any questions about this topic and any other privacy and information security topic.

Darity Wesley is CEO and Legal Counsel for Privacy Solutions, Inc. a San Diego based consulting firm. Her team of Privacy Gurus® work with you to create policies and procedures to establish the expectation of privacy for your members, clients, customers, prospects, affiliates, associates, employees and vendors. You can reach her at (619)670-9462 or Darity@privacygurus.com