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TUCSON - You may be one of the tens of millions of Americans who'll shop online for the holidays. It's fast and easier than ever with smart phones and tablets. But is it safe to send your credit card numbers and personal info into cyberspace with these devices?

These devices are portals into our most critical information.

The first tip is use a password lock so if you lose your phone or iPad someone who finds it will not be able to open it in the first place.

"All the information in it, not just the financial information you may have, but your contact list, your calendar is all protected," says Sachel Watson, Vice-President of Internet and Mobile Banking at Wells Fargo. "It's not just about making long distance phone calls anymore. It's also about protecting all the information you have stored in your device."

Besides checking stores for great deals Watson says you can use your phone to check accounts.

"You can make sure that all the transactions that posting in your account are accurate, that there is no unauthorized transactions posting. You can really stay on top of your finances as well."

Waiting until the end of the month for a statement is no longer necessary. Notify you financial institution immediately if you see a fraudulent charge.

"Using different passwords for social websites versus shopping sites, versus your financial institution just to have another added level of security that if your password get compromised in one place it doesn't get compromised in every place," say Watson.

Be diligent about logging out of your accounts and clear the history in the web browser on all your devices daily.

If your smart phone is lost or stolen, you can remotely wipe all the information stored on the phone, but you may need to set up that option ahead of time.