By Chetrice Mosley-Romero

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, it's a good idea to make sure your personal data is protected -- whether you're heading out to the stores, logging into a laptop, or using your phone to visit your favorite retailers. Why's that important?

According to new data from Qubit, half of the consumers now do more than 75 percent of their shopping online, a trend that is expected to continue. Just last month, Americans spent a record $10.8 billion online on Cyber Monday, up 15 percent from last year, making it the largest online shopping day in U.S. history, according to Adobe Analytics.

That kind of sales activity adds up to a whole lot of opportunities for cybercriminals to steal your personal information -- and your money. With that in mind, time's running out and there are only a few days left to finish your shopping, so remember before you go, be sure to:

• Do business with reputable vendors/retailers and if you've never heard of them, do your homework before you buy from them.
• Check the URL for "https" to ensure you are on is encrypted, especially when you are sharing your personal and financial information.
• Check your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized payments or payments that are much more than you approved to be taken out.
• If you have to go to a store, limit what you carry; bring with you only the identification and credit/debit card you need or plan to use and, of course, your mask!

For more easy steps you can take to protect yourself while doing your holiday shopping, click here, There's also good advice from the U.S. Trade Commission (FTC) on ways to keep your personal data protected. And for more information about how to keep your personal information secure, Hoosiers can visit the Indiana Cybersecurity Hub for the latest tips, resources, and more.