SANTA CLARA, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- December 12, 2006 -- CEO of anti-spyware firm Max Secure Software, Sanjay Pradhan, lists top ten tips online shoppers can use this holiday season to protect their PCs, their personally identifiable information and their money.

Top Ten Tips for Protecting Online Shoppers During the Holiday Season

1. Do not reveal sensitive information such as Social Security Number, address, credit card number unless you are sure about the credibility of the online shopping site that you are dealing with.

2. Beware of e-mail attachments and think twice before opening them after you've shopped online; analyze mail content as well as the sender's address. If the address looks familiar, look for the attachment extension. A typical attachment contains normal and common extensions such as .doc, .pdf, .jpg etc. Anything else that looks unfamiliar and fishy should be ignored. Remember, being inquisitive could cost you your hard drive!

3. Don't respond to the misleading e-mails luring you into sharing sensitive information/transferring funds to or from your bank account. Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information you should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a secure website or the telephone.

4. Always use secure website for submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser. To make sure you're on a secure Web server, check the beginning of the Web address in your browsers address bar -- it should be "https://" rather than just "http://".

5. Keep your password to online shopping sites a secret and change it often. Moreover, regularly log into your online accounts and check your bank, credit and debit card statements to ensure that all transactions are legitimate.

6. Refrain from using cyber cafes to perform online shopping. Be careful about any business or sensitive information you access or pass on a public computer. Public computers could even have spyware, key logger software, or a number of other programs that could steal sensitive information.

7. Use security software (firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware) to keep your PC protected from hackers, spyware, viruses and malicious programs while you browse online catalogues.

8. Do not to share your computer unless needed. Many times, especially with a home computer, there are multiple users. Children unknowingly download anything they like from freeware to shareware which can include screensavers to games. This tendency to download anything without thinking it through can be an invitation to trouble which can lead to compromised PC security.

9. Make sure what you are downloading. Be aware of the messages you get when you are browsing online shopping sites. Assure yourself what you are doing before you download anything. Don't click on any unknown link that asks you to agree to install software to view their page. Sometimes those contain spyware.

10. Create a new e-mail address that is specifically dedicated to your online shopping. This will help keep track of your online orders and help contain sensitive data that might be relayed back to you from the vendor confirming receipt and/or delivery of your purchase(s).

About Max Secure Software
Founded in 2003, Max Secure Software is a leading provider and industry award winner of anti-spyware software serving over 90,000 customers worldwide. Based in Silicon Valley and India, Max Secure Software’s anti-spyware product line helps consumers decrease downtime from scans, improve PC performance, protect confidential data on their PC, and eliminate all spyware threats. For more information, please visit www.maxpcsecure.com or contact Max Secure Software’s sales department at 1.408.216.8153.