Online Safety

AI Is Changing Cyber Risks: Here’s How to Keep Your Data Safe Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we work, shop, and communicate. But the same technology that powers helpful chatbots and smart assistants also introduces new threats to your privacy and security. The World Economic Forum recently published a report on cutting cyber risk in the AI era, and its findings matter for everyone who uses digital tools. Here’s a plain‑language look at what’s changing and what you can do about it. ...

How to Use AI Without Giving Up Your Privacy: A Practical Guide The rapid spread of generative AI tools—from chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot to image generators and writing assistants—has created an uncomfortable paradox. These services are genuinely useful, but using them often means handing over your data. Every query you type, every document you paste, and every file you upload may be stored, reviewed, or used to train future models. ...

6 Common Online Shopping Scams and How to Avoid Them Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts scammers looking to take your money or personal information. Government agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regularly issue alerts about ongoing scams. In 2022, the FTC recorded over $8.8 billion in consumer fraud losses, with online shopping scams near the top of the list. Whether you’re a frequent buyer or someone who only shops online occasionally, knowing what to look for can save you time, money, and stress. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Protect Your Wallet Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts scammers. According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, Americans lost more than $12.5 billion to cybercrime last year. A significant chunk of that comes from shopping scams—fake websites, phishing texts, and too-good-to-be-true deals that cost you money and expose your personal data. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has also issued repeated warnings about scams targeting veterans and military families, especially around the holidays. ...

AI Innovation vs. Privacy: A Practical Guide for Everyday Users The debate over whether we can have both rapid AI innovation and strong data privacy protections has been simmering for years. A recent article in Financier Worldwide titled “Innovation vs privacy: can AI have both?” captures the high-level tension between corporate incentives and user rights. But for most people, the question is more immediate: What does this mean for the tools I use every day—ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini—and what can I actually do about it? ...

How to Protect Your Privacy from AI-Powered Cyber Risks If you’ve used a chatbot, image generator, or AI writing assistant lately, you’ve probably noticed how capable these tools have become. But the same technology that makes them useful also introduces new ways for your data to be exposed—and new avenues for scammers to exploit. As more companies adopt AI, understanding how to guard your personal information is no longer optional. ...

How to Cut Your Cyber Risk in the AI Era: Practical Privacy Tips Introduction If you use ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or another generative AI tool at work or at home, you’re part of a fast-growing trend. A recent World Economic Forum report found that half of all companies now use AI in some capacity, and personal adoption is climbing just as quickly. But this rapid uptake comes with a catch: new privacy and cyber risks that many users haven’t yet learned to navigate. ...

AI vs. Privacy: How to Use Smart Tools Without Sacrificing Your Data Every time you ask an AI chatbot a question or generate an image, you’re handing over data. How much, and where it ends up, is often unclear. The Financier Worldwide article “Innovation vs privacy: can AI have both?” captures the central tension: AI tools are powerful, but they rely on your personal information to improve and operate. For everyday users, the trade-off doesn’t have to be all or nothing. With a few deliberate choices, you can keep using AI while limiting what you expose. ...

AI Is Changing Cyber Risks: How to Protect Your Privacy Now A few years ago, the biggest online privacy concern might have been a leaked password or a phishing email that was fairly easy to spot. That’s no longer the case. As artificial intelligence tools become part of everyday life—from chatbots and voice assistants to image generators and personalized shopping recommendations—the cyber threats targeting your personal data have grown more sophisticated and harder to detect. ...

AI Privacy Tips: How to Use Smart Tools Without Sacrificing Your Data The convenience of AI-powered assistants, chatbots, and writing tools is hard to ignore. But every time you paste a paragraph into ChatGPT, ask Copilot to draft an email, or let Gemini summarize your inbox, you’re sending data to a company’s servers. The trade-off between innovation and privacy isn’t theoretical—it’s happening right now on your screen. The good news is that you don’t have to choose one or the other. With a few deliberate choices, you can use AI tools while keeping most of your personal information under your control. ...