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After reaching the Black Friday marker, we will definitely see a whole lot of shopping filling our days. Nowadays, that does not solely mean raiding department stores and outlet malls – it also means spending more time online hunting for the best holiday deals.

In as much as actual shopping in actual stores can be risky, online shopping will also have its own security challenges. A feature on PC World gives readers tips on how to ensure that online shopping remains secure during the holiday season.

The first step that is recommended is also the most basic – ensure that your computer is patched and secure. Before going on an online shopping spree, see to it that you have already applied any patches and updates that may be applicable to your operating system as well as your Web browser. You should also ensure that you have the updated versions of antivirus and antispyware protection installed and running on your computers.

Once you have that in place, then you’re good to go; but limit yourself to certain sites, and ensure that the site you are in is secure before entering into a transaction. Your identifier that the site you are in is secure is the padlock icon, or a URL that starts with https://; these indicate that the transaction you will be entering into is encrypted.

One concern about shopping online is the possibility that an attacker will be able to intercept one’s credit card details and start charging away, to the point when you will simply be surprised that you maxed out your credit card for some reason. If you are worried about this, you may consider using a separate credit card with a very limited spending limit, or an “e-card” solution that will allow you to create a temporary card number that you can use only once.

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