As the holiday weekend ends, retail sales numbers are out.

This weekend shoppers spent $52.4 billion in stores and online since Thanksgiving, breaking all records.

That's up 16 percent from $45 billion last year.

Cyber Monday will be the busiest day of the year for online shopping.

It's also a big day for thieves who will try to steal your financial information.

There are ways to stay safe.

For example, make sure your computer system is free of viruses by being up-to-date with security scans.

Next, create a strong password with letters, numbers and symbols.

Also, look for a padlock symbol or "https" in the address line on your browser.

That indicates that the website uses technology that encrypts your data.

For more information on Cyber shopping safety tips, log onto www.dhs.gov and click on the Cyber security tab at the top of the page.

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