You can tell if you have spyware on your device by looking for signs such as your device’s battery draining quickly, overheating, increased pop-ups or data usage and unfamiliar apps. Spyware is a kind of malware that, once unknowingly installed on your device, allows cybercriminals to spy on you and steal your private information. This information could be used by cybercriminals or sold on the dark web to commit fraud or identity theft.

Although there is no way to stop receiving all spam calls, there are steps you can take to reduce the number of spam calls you receive. According to Truecaller’s 2024 report, Americans collectively receive an average of 2.5 billion spam and unwanted calls every month. While spam calls do not always have malicious intent, like hacking your phone or stealing your money, they can grow annoying since they are unwanted and persistent.

You can mitigate the risk of ransomware attacks by regularly backing up your data, updating your device with the latest software, implementing least-privilege access, using a business password manager and educating employees about security awareness, among other things. Ransomware attacks occur when organizations are prevented from accessing files and data until they’ve paid a ransom to the cybercriminal who infected their devices with malware.

You can protect yourself from identity theft by safeguarding your Social Security number and other sensitive documents, regularly reviewing your credit reports, using a dark web monitoring tool and not oversharing online. Identity theft occurs when someone steals and uses your sensitive documents unbeknownst to you to gain money or access to your confidential information. Examples of sensitive documents include Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account information and passport numbers.

A password is compromised when it’s leaked in a data breach and made available on the dark web, allowing others to gain unauthorized access to your online accounts. This risk not only arises from a data breach; your passwords can also be compromised in a phishing attack or if you don’t store your passwords securely. Dealing with multiple compromised passwords can be scary and stressful, but luckily there are steps you can take to protect your online accounts.

You can avoid falling for Medicare scam calls by blocking unknown numbers, refusing to give out your personal information to unsolicited callers and staying informed about common phone scams. Although all types of scams can be dangerous, scams involving Medicare endanger their targets by potentially compromising their health insurance and identity. Read more to learn what Medicare scam calls are, how they work, some common examples and how you can avoid falling for these scams.

An account takeover attack is a type of identity theft that occurs when a cybercriminal gains access to your online account and changes your login credentials to lock you out. Once you cannot log back in, a cybercriminal will use your identity to steal private information or even scam others. You can prevent account takeover attacks by using strong passwords, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and investing in dark web monitoring.

You can tell if someone is scamming you online if they make grammatical or spelling errors, create a sense of urgency, ask you for personal information, offer you something that’s too good to be true or reach out to you unexpectedly. Read the following signs that someone is scamming you online, learn about the most common online scams to watch out for and note our tips on how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.

If your bank account has been hacked, you should contact your bank immediately, change your bank account’s password and place a freeze on your credit report. Because your savings are on the line, you must act quickly when you learn your bank account has been hacked. Read more to learn the common signs of a hacked bank account and what you should do if someone hacks into your bank account.

To lock your Social Security number (SSN), you first need to either contact the Social Security Administration or use your E-Verify account to self-lock it. It is necessary to lock your SSN when you suspect that it has been stolen and used to commit fraud or identity theft. If you notice suspicious activity in your bank accounts, missing mail or mistakes in your tax returns, you might be a victim of identity theft and should lock your SSN immediately.