There no easier way to buy gifts than online, right? Well, according to this News.com story, if you don’t take prudent steps while eshopping, bad things could happen: “Holiday shoppers, beware.”

Check out what the CEO of home networking company Sereniti offers as practical tips for shopping online:

• Print copies of all online receipts so that they can be checked against credit card bills.
• Print copies of all guarantees and warranties.
• Do not respond to e-mails asking customers for personal information. Businesses and financial institutions rarely reach out on their own seeking such information. It is better to contact a business directly on your own.
• Online retailers that display Truste and Better Business Bureau seals likely are to be trusted to safeguard personal information.
• Note whether Web sites begin with “https” instead of “http” in the browser area and whether they display a padlock icon in the lower right-hand border of the browser window, as this indicates secure encryption to protect customer identities.
• If possible, avoid providing Social Security numbers online.
• Make sure that online retailers have solid privacy polices that make clear their customers’ information will not be sold or transferred after a transaction occurs.

Please take a moment to post your own suggestions for securing the online shopping experience. You can either post your suggestions as a comment to this blog or to the article’s discussion thread.