Archives - Security Best Practice

Setting up student loan payments safely: How to make sure you’re using the right provider and not a scam site

Starting student loan repayment can feel stressful, especially when you’re asked to enter highly sensitive information like your Social Security number, date of birth, home address, bank details, and sometimes parent information. The safest move is simple: make sure you’re dealing with your actual loan servicer or the official federal student aid website before you […]

Don’t click “unsubscribe” in a spam email: How to avoid phishing, malware, and inbox-targeting scams

That “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of a shady email can look harmless, but in the wrong message, clicking it can make things worse instead of better. Cybersecurity experts generally recommend a simple rule: if the email looks suspicious, don’t click anything in it — including unsubscribe links. The safer move is usually to mark […]

Hover before you click: How to check a link before it takes you somewhere risky

Links are everywhere — emails, texts, social posts, online articles, ads, receipts, and collaboration tools. Most are harmless. Some are outdated. A few are dangerous. Cybercriminals often disguise malicious links to look like trusted websites, hoping you’ll click before you think. The good news? One simple habit can help you avoid a lot of trouble: […]

Don’t give away information a caller should already have — how to spot phone impersonation scams

If your bank calls you, they already know your account number. If your insurance company calls, they already have your policy details on file. So why would they ask you to verify that information over the phone? The short answer: they wouldn’t. If a caller is asking you for details they should already have, you’re […]

What to ask before giving out your Social Security number to protect yourself from identity theft

Your Social Security number is the master key to your identity. It unlocks access to your credit, bank accounts, tax filings, medical records, and more. So why do so many organizations ask for it so casually—and why do so many of us hand it over without a second thought? Here’s the truth: most of the […]

What does credit monitoring alert you about (and what doesn’t it cover)?

Credit monitoring services are one of the best tools you can use to keep tabs on your financial identity. But here’s something a lot of people don’t realize: these services don’t catch everything. Knowing what credit monitoring will and won’t alert you about could save you from falling for a scam. How credit monitoring services […]