The iPhone5, iPad mini and Kindle are just some of the exciting gadgets many of you found under your tree this year. As you welcome your new digital gear into your home this holiday season, you will want to protect your personal information, identities and beloved technical equipment in the best way possible.

Our increasing sense of digital dependence raises our vulnerability to theft. In the past, we contained our lives inside our homes, which we protected under lock and key. Today, our lives travel with us. All of our money joins us in the form of credit cards. Our memories follow us on our cell phones, and our personal entertainment accompanies us through tablets and eReaders. All of this convenience and connection represent a major opportunity for hackers and thieves looking to exploit our every mistake, from leaving our computers unattended for just a few short moments at a local coffee shop or to using one of the free charging stations at the airport.

The stress of holiday shopping often outweighs the joy of gift buying.  The crowded malls, parking space battles, long lines, limited store inventory and overwhelmed sales associates drive more people to shop online each year, where consumers sit quietly with a beverage in hand perusing a countless number of gift deals and choices.  In fact, over half of consumers expect to utilize the Internet to purchase gifts and other holiday-related items this year, according to the National Retail Federation, with almost 40 percent of holiday purchases expected to take place on retail and company websites.

Online shopping represents just one portion of the growing Internet influence over holiday spending.  Internet-related gifts fill a growing percentage of the buying market.  Kindles, iPads, laptops and digital gaming top the list of the most popular gift choices this year.  With consumer spending expected to exceed $586 billion, a massive portion of these sales will likely come from electronic devices.

Read more on Huffington Post

Hemanshu (Hemu) Nigam is an online safety, security, and privacy expert and CEO of SSP Blue, an online security consultancy. He is also a frequent contributor to CNN, HLN, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, CBS, HLNTV.com, and abcnews.com.  To sign up for SSP Blue’s Weekly News & Info, please click here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.  See also Hemu’s personal site.