"We expect the largest Internet retailers to be safe and secure, but it's sometimes harder to tell with the smaller niche sites," said Timothy Tillman, Chief Information Officer for CPAP Supply USA, a retailer that sells devices that treat the symptoms of sleep apnea through its website, http://www.cpapsupplyusa.com/. "We're very concerned about identity theft and other fraud. There are sites on the Net that will go to great lengths to acquire your personal information for illegal purposes."

So, how can you protect yourself? Tillman says there are a number of ways to try to ensure that your identity remains your own.

"Honest sites will take steps to make your shopping experience a safe one," said Tillman. "As the CIO of a comparatively small Internet company, I can attest that winning a customer's trust is as important as any other part of our business."

Tillman says before shopping at any online retailer, you should check the following:

1) Make sure all transactions are SSL enabled and encrypted. Before entering your personal information, be sure the padlock at the top or bottom of your browser is closed and locked. This indicates a secure connection has been established.

2) Look for third party verification tools such as the Better Business Bureau logo. When you click on the logo, you should receive more information about that company's standing.

3) Check for contact information. If you find a telephone number, call to ask about the company's security procedures. Be wary of sites that don't offer a phone number.

4) Sites should accept more than one type of credit card, and give an alternative to credit card payment.

5) Don't respond to "spam" emails. Very few legitimate companies advertise via unsolicited email, and none of them advertise in emails that are difficult to read, contain odd characters, or are hardly decipherable.