Work days are so busy that many of the week's best infosec stories often get lost in the shuffle. That's where Weekend Reading comes in. Each week we bring you the best news and analysis from the information security world, chosen by the field's best writers and editors.

This week we've got two pieces on offer for your weekend reading, a guide to gifting in the era of the Internet of Things and a look at how you can keep your private data secure, no matter where it lives. 

First up, I'm recommending you check out your former Editor-in-Chief Fahmida Y. Rashid's piece at InfoWorld: Maximum security: essential tools for everyday encryption. 

As encryption comes under fire from governments around the world, knowing how to protect your own data is essential. "The best way to stop government from pressing forward with its demands for weakening encryption -- and that’s exactly what backdoors would accomplish -- is to make encryption ubiquitous and mainstream," she writes. And then she shows us how.

This week Dark Reading Executive Editor Kelly Jackson Higgins is getting in the holiday spirit with her recommendation. She suggests you check out Ericka Chickowski's Internet Of Things Christmas Security Survival Guide.

"This is a fun and informative holiday read by Dark Reading contributing editor Ericka Chickowski on how security pros can help their friends and family stay secure with their inevitable Christmas of Things gifts this year," she says. 

Enjoy!