Cyber Monday survival guide Part 1.

I in no way advocate camping out at a store on Black Friday in order to get a good deal on that special something you have been eying. For one thing, you have to spend time away from your family. For another, you risk getting killed or tossed around by the crowd. And yes, that has happened before, and odds are it will happen again this year.

An alternative is Cyber Monday, taking place the Monday after Thanksgiving, this day allows you to find good deals online. Searching online will prevent you from getting (physically)  tossed around, and you can look while at your house or wherever you are staying under the guise of "taking a nap."

The issue? Cybercriminals will be shopping too, and not for DVD players. They will be shopping for anything they can steal from you. With that in mind, I've put together a little guide that might just help you avoid getting infected with malware, or having your identity stolen. Both of which will likely ruin your Happy Holidays.

Tip #1: Guard your credit card well. The most important tip on this guide is to protect your credit card. If you get anything from this guide, please let it be this.

When shopping online, the only you generally need to enter in a payment are the numbers on both sides of the card, and your PIN number. Needless to say, if these get in the wrong hands, it can get bad quickly. So be careful who you entrust them with.

Tip #2: Shop at secure websites only.

When you go to pay for something online, there should be a locked padlock somewhere in your browser. This tells you that the website is using HTTPS, which makes it harder for hackers to eavesdrop and capture your information. If there's no padlock, shop somewhere else. Even if it costs a bit more, it is worth it to keep your info away from prying eyes.

Tip #3: Stick with the websites you know if at all possible.

Try and stick with websites that you know are legit. Or if you need to go to a website that you don't know of, a quick online search will give you reviews and complaints.

Tip #4: Read the fine print.

^{In today's modern world, companies can get away with putting in small text called "fine print." And what is even worse is that almost no one ever reads this to the point where they understand it and they know their options if say, they want to return something.}

OK, I'm not as sneaky as most companies, and that's a good thing. Either way, the message is clear: Read the fine print.

More to come in Part 2.