After the Target data breach over the holidays consumers have been pretty worried about their credit cards and bank accounts. Well, it turns out cybersecurity and other experts agree that you should be worried and expecting more similar attacks.

"I think we are going to see more of this, this is what our culture is in for," says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of the credit card marketplace Lowcards.com. He is referring to security breaches like the famous and devastating Target scandal where tens of millions of shopper's card accounts were compromised.

Consumers should be especially aware of hackers during big shopping cycles like Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, the back-to-school time frame and next Christmas, says Charles Wood, corporate security specialist and assistant professor of information systems management at Duquesne University.

Some of the steps you should take are to be very aware when you use a debit or credit card. Thieves who get hold of debit cards have access to your bank account. Even if the bank discovers transactions that have not been made by you, it takes the bank about 10 days to investigate before making any refunds. Also, always check you bank account transactions, even if that means going online or through a mobile application, which can be a bit of a risk itself but you will know what is going on with your money.

"Pay attention to small transactions, not just the big ones, a lot of times thieves put through small amounts first to see if the account is still active," says Mr. Hardekopf. Gerri Detweiler is a personal finance expert with the educational site Credit.com and she advices to set up two bank accounts, one for spending money "and the other to put your paycheck into so you aren't exposing all of your money to scammers."

Experts also recommend checking your credit reports more often than not. Like this you can spot any possible identify theft, the kind of theft that a person can open new accounts in your name. There are a few websites that you can get full credit reports for free. You can also order a free report from one of the three main bureaus every four months, said Heather Murray, manager of education with the nonprofit Advantage Credit Counseling Service in Pittsburgh.

Remember people; using cash is also the safest way to protect accounts. And of course, always be aware and on top of your finances. Do not be careless and think this cannot happen to you.