1 billion reasons to protect your identity online

The article highlights that identity fraud thrives on large corporate data breaches and multiple targeted techniques—phishing/smishing/vishing, digital skimming, insecure public Wi‑Fi, infostealer malware, malvertising, malicious sites/apps, and device theft—then recommends layered defenses (strong unique passwords with 2FA, reputable security software, cautious app sourcing, VPN on public Wi‑Fi) and post‑breach actions (credit freeze, notify banks and authorities, change credentials), noting 2024 saw 3,158 publicly reported U.S. incidents and over 1.3 billion notification letters.