The Verge guide to privacy and security

Privacy and security are on everyone’s minds these days — and for good reason. It sometimes seems like every week, there’s a new story about a corporate database getting hacked, releasing thousands of names, email addresses, and even Social Security numbers into the wild. Meanwhile, click on the wrong link, and your computer could send all of your personal info out for misuse. Data aggregators pull your personal information from hundreds of sites and sell it to whoever wants to pay. Your identity is in danger if the wrong people get hold of your information. And if you say something on social media that angers an aggressive group, the pile-on can affect your work, life, and emotional well-being.

Luckily, there are strategies you can use to minimize or even avoid these dangers. In this guide to privacy and security, we offer a toolkit for dealing with issues like identity theft, online harassment, and general data security.

In short, don’t just worry about today’s privacy issues — do something about it.