Finally, anti-spyware and anti-rootkit protection should guard against attempts to steal passwords and the use of your computer for other, more nefarious purposes. You will still be able to use your computer for entertainment, but without the fear of your e-mail account being hijacked and used to send Viagra ads instead of greeting cards.

Making sure you have the correct software is just the beginning to protecting yourself this holiday season. It's also necessary to change the way you behave online. Consider changing your usual habits and actually read the alert windows that ask you about "digital certificates" while browsing online. If a website displays the lock icon, but its certificate is signed by Puss-in-Boots instead of Verisign, that is a good sign it's not the novelty candle shop you were looking for.

Another good idea is to type in the address of your bank's website by hand, instead of following links to it (yes, even from Google ads). And you should never type your card pin, no matter how nicely the cute elf asks. Of course, some security solutions come with extensions that watch for that kind of mistakes and block the sensitive information from ever leaving the computer.

Another good rule of thumb is to steer away (within reason) from e-mails from long-lost friends that link to greetings, e-cards and other goodies. These e-mails are usually not what you think and could spell trouble for your computer.

It is also important to avoid installing new services and applications which are not immediately needed, such as file transfer and file sharing servers, remote desktop servers, new codecs or media players — especially if they do not belong to a trusty company or site. Such programs are potential hazards, and should not be installed if not absolutely necessary.

Also, do not copy any file if you do not know or do not trust its source. Check the source (provenance) of files you download and make sure that an antivirus program has already verified the files before opening them. Hitting the file-sharing networks for fresh mp3 Christmas carols (the un-copyrighted kind, of course) is a good way of ending up with fresh computer viruses if you are not careful.

But let's not end this list on a down note. It's Christmas. Go out and buy that laptop for the kids, the desktop computer for Mom or the gaming PC for junior. We'll all be safe — as long as we use a little common sense.

Vince Hwang is the global director of product management for BitDefender. He oversees all product and technology development strategies. He brings with him over a decade of strategic, operational, and product management experience that span across multiple technology domains.