More of us are planning to do Christmas shopping online this year.
A study out of the United States predicts that one in 10 workers plans to spend about 30 hours shopping online while they are at work.
Convenience was the reason a third of the workers surveyed said they shopped online, while a quarter of them cited boredom.
Mack-line is not predicting a rise in workers in New Zealand using their work time to buy Christmas presents.
However, given the pressure of many workplaces in the lead-up to Christmas, it would not be surprising to find people increasingly using the internet for their shopping.
But can you be safe when you shop? Mack-line asked security software distributors AVG and Symantec to come up with some tips to help Signal readers shop safely for Christmas.
AVG New Zealand-Australia marketing manager Lloyd Borrett said online shopping offered many benefits, including the ability to shop at any time of the day or night that was convenient.
"Just as we encourage people to be careful as they're shopping in a shopping mall or crowded store, everyone should take appropriate steps to protect themselves while shopping online.
"Simple steps, like looking for the `secure site' padlock on your browser page when purchasing, or making sure you're buying from a reputable company, can prevent potential headaches down the road."
AVG's top tips are:
• Looking for the "S" for security.
Make sure the websites you are shopping from are secure and have "https" in the URL when you are at their checkout or purchase process.
The "S" ensures security.
When you are in the secure section of a website, you will also see an icon for a locked padlock on your browser, either on the address bar or on the bottom right corner.
• Stay current on security software.
This means making sure you have the latest virus protection software updates from your security provider.
It's important because the bad guys move around frequently.
• Think before you link.
Employ a URL scanning tool to ensure you will be warned if you click on links that lead to infected web pages.
The time to find out whether a page is bad is before you load it into your web browser.
• Keep your private information private.
When shopping online, create a separate email account that is just for shopping.
Use a unique password, different from any other accounts you have.
Your dedicated shopping email account should be in no way affiliated with your personal, everyday email account.
Symantec's top tips are:
• Shop where others shop.
There are so many places to buy products online, how can you find the best ones? In the real world, you might ask a friend for a recommendation.
In the online world, shopper recommendations fulfil the same function.
If you have favourite places to shop in the physical world, shopping there online may make sense as well.
• Check the details.
Check an online shop's privacy policy before you buy.
Make sure they are not selling your personal information to others.
Check the return policies.
Will the shop take unsatisfactory purchases back? If a purchase involves an online transaction service, such as Paypal, make sure you understand how that service will protect you if things go wrong.
• Gift cards.
These are increasingly popular gifts to send and receive and can be a big help with last minute shopping.
Make sure you review the policies for each card.
Some companies have monthly fees or expiration dates on their gift cards which can make them almost useless unless they are used right away.
• Be careful what you share.
Be wary of sharing personal details such as your account numbers, date of birth, addresses, likes and dislikes and other personal information.
Before you disclose anything, ask yourself why do they need to know or do they need to know this?
• Manage your passwords.
Do not use obvious ones; mix characters, numbers and symbols like & * %; change them regularly; do not use the same passwords for multiple accounts.
• Review financial statements on a regular basis.
Check for any suspicious activity no matter how small.
It is a warning sign that a criminal may have stolen your data.
Mr Borrett said despite more people than ever carrying out their Christmas shopping online this year, there was no reason to sacrifice security in the hunt for a great bargain.
Following the simple tips in Mack-line should help minimise the chances of readers becoming a victim of online fraud or cyber criminals.