If you live in the US, there’s just no good reason why you shouldn’t freeze access to your credit report, right now. Here’s why and how. Why Do I Need a Credit Freeze Now? I wrote a blog about this years ago and I have been recommending it in my book and on my podcast for years, as well. Since that initial article, a couple key things have happened. First, there have been a lot more data breaches – very serious data breaches. (As always, you can check HaveIBeenPwned.com to see if your data was part of any of those breaches.) The recent massive AT&T data leak, which includes basically every ..read more

I’m not sure why I feel compelled to stick my head into this beehive, but this whole TikTok ban thing is a hot mess. I understand the concerns, but the proposed solution doesn’t begin to solve the real problems. I think there are better articles about this, for example EFF, 404 Media, and Lifehacker. But I also have a proposal that I haven’t seen elsewhere. So here’s my two cents. TikTok Has Real Problems Look, I get it. I really do. TikTok has some real problems. It’s owned by Bytedance, which is a Chinese company. The Chinese government is repressive. It has a lot of control over its compani ..read more

I spend a lot of time talking about the virtues of strong passwords (or maybe passphrases) and two–factor authentication. I’ve written about promising new authentication technologies like passkeys. But in many cases, all of that is moot. Your account security is only as secure as its weakest link. And just about every account you have has a well-known “backdoor”. Account Security’s Weakest Link Putting a lock on your door is the accepted way to protect the contents of your house. In most cases, this is good enough, even though modern home locks are pretty easy to pick. In the virtual world, a ..read more

It’s been way too long since I’ve given away some of my highly-collectible, security-enhancing dragon challenge coins. I’ve also been working with some of my favorite security and privacy companies to offer an ongoing benefit to my annual Patreon subscribers. Read on for details! Dragon Challenge Coins A few years ago, I minted a limited set of 100 dragon challenge coins. They were quite popular and I burned through them pretty quickly. So in 2022 I updated the design to include my new logo and minted 100 more. I encourage you to read the longer article for full images and background, but here ..read more

Security pros have been urging you to use two-factor authentication (2FA) for years. Along with using a password manager, it’s probably our top recommendation. But if you’re not careful, you could lock yourself out of your own accounts. Options for Setting Up 2FA When you set up two-factor authentication with a website, you generally have three options: Using SMS or text messaging to receive your one-time PIN codes Generating one-time PIN codes using an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator) Using a hardware key like a YubiKey as your second factor For most people, I find authenticato ..read more

Artificial Intelligence is the buzzword of the day. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, there has been a flood of AI-based tools and services. Many tech firms are racing to build AI into their products without considering the consequences, let alone taking the time to build in guardrails for privacy and security. AI Does Have Value Before I go any further, I would like to just stipulate a couple things. First, artificial intelligence technology is just another tool. Like any tool, it can and will be used for both good and bad purposes, and everything in between. AI is a very powerful ..read more

Tax filing time is rapidly approaching here in the USA – which means tax scams are coming, too. And with tools like ChatGPT, scammers are going to be able to create some convincing phishing emails and text messages. Let’s review some top tips for avoiding these scams. (While much of this article is focused on the United States, many of the same principles will apply globally.) Identifying Tax Scams Fake IRS (Internal Revenue Service) emails, phone calls and text messages will say that you’ve done something horribly wrong and owe lots of money. You must immediately send them money or face addit ..read more

Once again, the official schedule for international Data Privacy Week falls on the wrong week for my writing schedule, but that’s okay… every week is Data Privacy Week here! Instead of re-writing an entire article with my top privacy tips every year, I’ve taken to just posting a quick note (this one) and referring you to my Data Privacy Checklist, which I update every January for this event. My posts for 2022 and 2021 have more info and challenges, if you’re interested. If you missed it, I just published a helpful 2024 New Year’s Resolutions article which contains several key security and pri ..read more

Another year has come and gone. And with the new year upon us, let’s resolve to take some affirmative steps to improve our privacy and security! I’ve split the list up into three parts: Basics, Next Steps and Going Beyond. New Year’s Resolutions: Basics These are my top tips which I recommend all the time. I would recommend checking all of these off before proceeding to the “next steps” list. Use a password manager. Humans are horrible at picking secure passwords and the bad guys know it. You need long, strong, unique passwords for every account – and the best way to do that is by using a pas ..read more

Once a year, I look back and pick my favorite privacy and security resources: articles, podcasts, tools, websites, books, apps, you name it. I have an extensive Resources page with a larger list, but these are my current top pics. These would be great to share with others, too. Top Articles These are the top articles from 2023. Secure Your Network (4-part series) Why You Need to Plant Your Flag The Pros and Cons of Passkeys Go Forth, Do Good Deeds How to Block Google Pop-Ups (including how to configure uBlock Origin) Craft Your Access Backup Plan How to Block Web Fingerprinting These are som ..read more