(BPT) - Whether it’s at the mall, on a computer or on a smartphone, the holiday shopping season is here. As shoppers hunt down the most coveted items, the best deals and the most convenient ways to get them, where and how they shop is evolving. With the increasing ease of shopping online or on a mobile device, new concerns are rising about how to shop securely.

The holidays are a high time for identity thieves – they know that more people will be shopping online, and potentially exposing their personal information. Online holiday shopping has grown steadily over the past few years, and that trend is expected to continue into this year, with some estimates predicting $54 billion in ecommerce spending.

While the Internet has been the center point for much holiday shopping in recent years, surveys have also shown that as many as 21 million consumers plan to make a purchase from their mobile device. It seems certain that criminals will be turning their attention to mobile as well.