If you are expecting a tax refund this year, it’s a good idea (in light of the recent Equifax breach, especially) to file your return as soon as possible to avoid someone stealing your refund. This can occur when someone uses another’s Social Security number to file a tax return in their name to claim their refund. Victims will likely be unaware that this has happened until they file their tax return and discover that another return already has been filed in their name.

Sharing some of your personal life through online dating apps and websites may be a necessary component of searching for a partner in today’s world. But are you sharing more than you think you are?

As we barrel towards a world where our cars can drive themselves and may be speaking to other cars on the road (or to the internet at large), our vehicles are getting a more complete and intimate view into our personal lives than ever before.

The Federal Trade Commission recently settled charges with VTech, a company that sells electronic toys, over allegations that it violated a children’s privacy law. The FTC alleged that VTech’s Kid Connect app collected children’s personal information without providing parents sufficient or direct notice, obtaining appropriate parental consent, or taking reasonable steps to secure the data it collected.

Having overindulged a bit during the winter holidays, many of us are now trying to get into better shape for the new year. To assist in that goal, there are numerous fitness apps and wearable tech that can help motivate you and keep you accountable. But are you losing more than just a little bit of holiday weight by using them?

This holiday shopping season, the Echo Dot was the bestselling product on all of Amazon and countless Smart TVs were purchased. But even if you purchased/received the best Internet of Things (IoT) products on the market, you will need to take steps to make sure you aren’t creating unnecessary security vulnerabilities.

With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, you may find yourself doing more shopping than usual. During this busy season, here are a few important things to consider for protecting your privacy:

Looking to get the newest tech for your home? Before replacing every item in your space with the latest and greatest in internet-connected devices (also known as the Internet of Things), you may want to take a quick minute and think about these few things.

Trust in the Company Making the Product

Ask yourself or look up:

Last month’s massive data breach at Equifax was caused by their failure to update their software and patch a security vulnerability. Though it sounds appalling, this is common.

Medical debt often results from unpredictable events, but you shouldn’t let such an event ruin your credit for years to come. With 52 percent of all debt on credit reports coming from medical expenses, 43 million Americans are affected by this problem.