With the holidays quickly approaching, online shopping provides consumers everywhere with a convenient alternative to waiting in long lines and braving the chilly weather. In honor of the busiest time of year for shopping, here are some expert tips from Experian to protect yourself while shopping online this holiday season.

1. Be Wary of Wi-Fi
Be advised that free Wi-Fi services at coffee shops and stores can be easily hacked. Don’t unknowingly give an identity thief access to your personally identifiable information (PII). Therefore, it is best to refrain from online shopping while taking advantage of these free, public Wi-Fi services.

2. Know Your Seller
Know who you’re buying from. Only make online purchases from reputable merchants. If a business sounds suspicious, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

3. Create Secure Profiles
Use strong passwords and change them routinely. Protect yourself from identity thieves by changing your passwords before and after the holiday shopping season. Each account should have a unique password that is at least eight characters in length, does not contain your name and is a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.

These proactive measures better protect you from online thieves and provide additional peace of mind while you shop online this holiday season.