Latest Protect Your Identity
![How to gain some control over the ads Facebook is showing you](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/facebook-privacy.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
In the wake of the Facebook data scandal, the focus has been on privacy and the extraordinary access to users'…
![If you use the Chrome browser, you should update it NOW](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-3.09.56-PM.png?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
If Google Chrome is your browser of choice, your computer may be in danger from "previously publicly-unknown vulnerabilities," according to…
![How to protect yourself during a data breach](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dreamstime_s_127918584.jpg?resize=480%2C402&ssl=1)
If the previous 12 months have taught us anything, it's that data breaches will likely continue to be a huge…
![Phone porting scam: How to protect yourself](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dreamstime_s_106942868.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Thieves are increasingly stealing people's phone numbers in a new scheme known as "porting" or "port-out scamming." A phone porting…
![Microsoft logo outside corporate building](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/microsoft.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Microsoft has issued a series of emergency security patches for certain versions of Internet Explorer that criminals are actively exploiting…
![Facebook shared your data with other companies](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/dreamstime_s_114233544.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Facebook has spent much of the past 12 months apologizing and trying to make amends for the Cambridge Analytica data…
![How to tell if that Amazon.com email is legit](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/dreamstime_s_16041305.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
As the world's largest online retailer, Amazon sends untold numbers of emails to consumers on a daily basis. Many of…
![Having trouble with Experian & Equifax credit freezes? Here are some answers](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/dreamstime_s_125934761.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
It's only been a short while since credit freezes were made free by the three major credit-reporting bureaus. The government-mandated…
![Hotel phone scam targets guest with calls from fake 'manager'](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/scamhotelFULL.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
New reports of an old hotel phone scam targeting guests and their wallets are popping up with greater frequency these days.…
![The one and only reason to have a ‘piece of trash’ debit card](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/clark-howard_382548746.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Pushed by the banks for years, debit cards have become a popular way to pay for everything from gas to…
![Experian data breach: What we know + how to stay protected](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/dreamstime_xxl_106080477.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story called this a "data breach," when it is actually more of a…
![How to make sure your credit report is accurate](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/dreamstime_xxl_36326102.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Many of us are aware of the need to review our credit reports from the three major credit bureaus every…
![Cell phone fraud warning: How to avoid becoming a victim](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/dreamstime_xxl_102188295.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
It's safe to say that cell phones have become must-have gadgets for most of us these days. Because criminals know…
![Equifax data breach: One year later, here are the new consumer protections you need to know](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/efbuilding.jpg?resize=480%2C400&ssl=1)
It's been one year since the Equifax data breach, perhaps the most catastrophic security failure on record when it comes…
![Why automatic savings works: How to do it & the best ways to save](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/28d46784c364499bb4b3844f6b532fd2.png?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Several years ago, a study done in Denmark found that automatic savings plans were more effective than tax subsidies when…
![3 signs of a tech support scam & how to protect yourself](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/handscomputer.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
There's been an increase in people reporting tech support scams for an assortment of electronic devices. Federal authorities say scammers…
![Poll: Americans more concerned with Equifax data breach than Facebook scandal](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/ap_17087443037825.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
The personal information of millions of Americans has been at the heart of two of the biggest controversies in the…
![UPDATE: 27 million user accounts breached in Ticketfly hack](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dreamstime_xxl_50843288.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Ticketing website Ticketfly is back online after being hacked last week in a high-profile data breach. It was initially reported that “thousands” of…
![Here’s the most disturbing thing about the Uber hack](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/dreamstime_s_91821795.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Ride-sharing service Uber is being maligned again after the company announced Tuesday that it suffered a massive cybersecurity breach last…
![Password](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/dreamstime_xxl_98595217.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Password protection should be a priority for us all. The prevalence of data breaches should prompt all of us to…
![How to protect yourself from Uber’s gaping security holes](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/clark-howard_707412250.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Think your data is totally protected when you're using Uber? Think again... Read more: 7 things I wish I knew…
![Unsecured server left FedEx customer documents for 100K+ accounts exposed](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/fedex.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Here's the latest in the ongoing saga of how corporate America fails to protect consumer information! FedEx is the latest…
![7 steps to create safer passwords for all your online accounts](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/clark-howard_615524512.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Some passwords are funny. Some are pretty weird. Some can be a math problem. Many can be laughably easy to…
![I just found out I was hacked twice, thanks to this free identity monitoring service](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/dreamstime_s_79135544.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
In the aftermath of the Equifax data breach, consumers are understandably skittish about cybersecurity and the safety of their personal…
![Data breach: What to do when you're personal info has been hacked](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/dreamstime_xs_55580697.jpg?resize=480%2C320&ssl=1)
As technology becomes more enmeshed with personal finance, cybersecurity breaches are becoming more prevalent. While there's usually significant media coverage…
![Why sharing information is critical in case of an emergency](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/clark-howard_890032141.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
In the case of an emergency, does your spouse or other close relative or friend have access to your important account information?…
![What to do if you suspect your child’s identity has been stolen](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/dreamstime_s_93365027.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Protecting your personal information may have always been top of mind for you but in the aftermath of the Equifax…
![These states are the most vulnerable to identity theft and fraud](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/equifax-breach.png?resize=480%2C407&ssl=1)
If the Equifax data breach has taught Americans anything, it's that even the institutions trusted with protecting consumers' most personal…
![This security feature could prevent hackers from emptying your bank account](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/online.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
After hackers obtained the personal information of more than 145 million consumers in the Equifax data breach, Americans are wondering…
![Hackers steal payment data from Sheraton, Westin, other hotel customers](https://i0.wp.com/clark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/clark-howard_368107214.jpg?resize=480%2C480&ssl=1)
Another day, another data breach. This time involving Starwood Hotels and Resorts, a company that owns nearly a dozen hotel…