ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — While some are choosing to shop in-person at big box stores this year, others say they’re choosing it to it virtually instead.

Theresa Naples is a grandmother in Brunswick and said Christmas shopping for her loved ones is different now than in years past. “I have already started online shopping because I just don’t feel comfortable going into the stores, especially this time with the virus,” she explained.

And she’s not alone. Adobe Analytics is predicting a total of $189 billion in online holiday sales, a 33% increase from last year. But cybersecurity experts say consumers should be careful about storing their credit card information online.

“Really the key is to shop on reputable websites as well as making sure you’re not just emailing yourself your credit card number. You’re not just storing it in a notepad document,” explained Adam Dean, GreyCastle Security Specialist.

He said some hackers will try to replicate websites in order to steal people’s information, so it’s important to always keep an eye on the address bar to make sure the website you’re trying to purchase from is legitimate.

“If you do go to a website you don’t normally shop on, check out as a guest. Do not save your credit card information on that website.” Dean added that if you’re given the option, it’s better to not create an account on a website just in case of a potential security breach in the future.

“Just because the more accounts you have, the more you’re going to forget how many accounts you have,” said Dean. “And it’s just more of your information out there. You just want to limit it as much as possible.”