In a nationwide survey of 1,009 consumers conducted by Forrester Custom Consumer Research for the Business Software Alliance , one in four consumers said they would not shop online because of Internet security concerns. Another survey, released on Nov. 22 by Sun Microsystems Inc., showed that 83 percent of the 2,008 consumers polled think they're most susceptible to identity theft during the holiday season.

But Cathy Hotka, senior vice president of technology and business development at the Retail Industry Leaders Association in Washington, said much of the concern about online security is overblown.

"I don't believe for a second that anybody's enthusiasm has been dampened" because of online security concerns, Hotka said. "The track record of online security is great. We've demonstrated safe e-commerce for years, and consumers love it," she said. "If anything, there's concern about phishing and the effect that it can have on brand."