Online shopping is convenient, fast and easy, and the prices are often reasonable compared to personal shopping, in addition to the presence of many options, whether in terms of goods or even sellers.

On the other hand, this convenience is not free, you can undermine privacy and information security. Hackers are becoming more aggressive and creative than ever before in trying to steal your personal information.

Here are the best tips for staying safe while shopping online:

1. Wait for the home to shop
In her report, published by the American "Real Simpler" magazine, the author, Alice Williams, said that it is tempting to shop quickly on Amazon while you are sitting in the cafe. But if you use the Wi-Fi network available in public places, you can risk the safety of your data and financial information. And if you are connected to an insecure Wi-Fi, you may give sensitive data to hackers without you realizing it.

"The next time you shop online, wait until your Internet connection is safe," said Kara Fuller, contact person at All Home Connections.

And if you can't go home before making the purchase, the best option would be to use your mobile data and avoid the public WiFi network altogether. And if it is important to do some shopping online while on the move, you should invest in a virtual private network (VPN), usually safer than a public Wi-Fi network.

2. Shop from trusted sites
You may get suspicious of your site when shopping online. And if you've ever come across a strange site, trust your instincts. As there are many websites that were created in order to deceive consumers online and take advantage of our desire to get a good deal.

Paul Bischoff, consumer privacy expert at CompariTech recommends that consumers verify that the web address begins with a secure hypertext transfer protocol, since the letter "S" stands for security, and that there is a lock code locked.

Both indicate that your connection to the site is safe and means that any data sent or received from the site will be encrypted, as no third party can access it.

Before you start the shopping process, experts advise you to wait until your Internet connection is safe (Reuters)

3. Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your phone
The author explained that if you were shopping online while outside the home, companies would use the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities of your device to track your purchase history.

Although this is not inherently dangerous, it is worrying that you will receive an ad for a pair of sneakers just minutes after purchasing a similar shoe online.

There are real safety concerns online. So, if you don't need to use bluetooth then turn it off.

And if you leave it open while you are in public places, hackers will be able to easily see any networks you connect to and create a fake copy of it, as well as trick your device into making it connect to the hacker's Bluetooth device.

In fact, this paves the way for an intruder to access your personal data such as passwords and credit card information.

4. Use reliable communication channels
The author quoted what was said by Bischoff, who stated that when browsing the Amazon or eBay website or any market located on the Internet, it is important not to communicate or conduct transactions with merchants outside the official channels.

If you pay for a product using an external payment method, this will prevent the online marketplace, such as Amazon, from brokering the transaction and getting your money back if something goes wrong.

In general, be careful if someone asks you to make payments outside the market, as this can be a sign that the person you are dealing with is deceptive. In fact, pranksters use many different scams, such as ordering payment with gift cards.

Paying for a product using an external payment method will prevent the broker from canceling the transaction and refunding your money if something goes wrong (Reuters)

5. Update the applications you use regularly
The author has shown that many online shopping sites have applications that simplify the purchase process and provide other benefits to help shoppers save.

Most applications provide you with the option to save your credit card information. As easy as this purchase is, there are a few caveats to keep in mind if you shop regularly for apps.

According to Fowler, it is important to keep your applications up to date, as fraudsters can exploit any bugs or vulnerabilities in the application program in case you do not routinely update them.