Digital Security 101

With a bit of work, you can remove your personal info from Google search results, websites, and data broker sites — and you don’t have to do it all yourself.

Government agencies can legally require your SSN under federal law. Private companies can request it, but unless a law applies, you can refuse.

Signs of SSN misuse can be hard to spot. Look for data breach alerts, unexpected earnings on your Social Security statement, and credit report errors.

The simplest way is to set a SIM PIN, enable number transfer protection with your carrier, and use an authenticator app instead of SMS for 2FA.

Coinbase is considered safe due to strong technical and regulatory protections, but user-side risks like password reuse remain outside its control.

Credit Karma offers "free" credit monitoring and personal financial tools to millions of Americans — but it's not the only (or best) option available.