Are you drawing a blank on what to get that special someone for the holidays? Why not give them some digital peace of mind by buying them something to help them secure their network and/or computer. There are lots of network security-related gifts that can be had and all kinds of different price ranges. Here are some security-related gift ideas:

1. Antimalware and Antivirus Software

Many of us likely had a trial version of an antimalware suite pre-installed on our computer when we first bought it. The trial may have lasted from 3 to 6 months and we may have let it expire without purchasing the full version, leaving our computer vulnerable to malware attacks.  

Few of us like to fork over money for malware protection, but if we received it as a gift, we would probably use it. There is a vast array of antimalware packages available. One of my favorites, the excellent MalwareBytes can be had for as little as $25,

Check out About.com's antivirus site for in-depth reviews and comparisons on the various types of antimalware software that is available.  

2. A New Wireless Router

Chances are, unless the person you are buying for is a super technophile, they probably haven't upgraded their wireless router in several years.

It's possible that their current router might not support the latest and greatest encryption and security features that newer models on the market offer. If their old router only supports WEP encryption, then they may be leaving themselves wide open to wireless hacking attempts. 

A newer, more powerful wireless router may cost as little as $60 and may even have security enhancements such as a built in firewall and WPA2 encryption. 

Consider a more full-featured router such as the Buffalo TechnologiesN600 which can accept the feature-rich DD-WRT open-source firmware. 

3. A Backup Drive

Your friends and loved ones likely have Gigabytes worth of family photos and videos which they would surely hate to lose in the event of a computer crash or destructive virus. You could be the hero by buying them an inexpensive USB backup hard drive that they could use to backup their entire computer to. 

The cost of hard drives has come down a lot in recent years. You can pick up an external USB hard drive that can hold a Terabyte (1000 Gigabytes) worth of data for under $80.

Again, they might not think to buy this for themselves, but they would likely love the peace of mind it will give them knowing that a copy of their data is available at a moments notice if needed. You should also advise them to develop a good backup regimen as well. 

4. A Personal VPN (The Gift of Anonymity)

If your friend or loved one is a very private person, then what better gift could you give them than the gift of anonymity?

A Personal VPN (Virtual Private Network) service coupled with a VPN-capable router such as the CloakBox (from WiTopia) can help that special someone maintain their Internet privacy by allowing them to anonymize their Internet browsing behind a proxied IP address.

Personal VPNs also protect network traffic behind a wall of strong encryption which helps thwart hacker eavesdropping attacks. 

VPN service can be had for as little as $5 a month from some providers. Check out our article on Why You Need a Personal VPN for detailed information on the many other benefits that Personal VPNs can provide.