{"id":224949,"date":"2025-12-31T03:00:46","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T11:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=224949"},"modified":"2025-12-19T15:07:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T23:07:41","slug":"new-year-reset-a-quick-guide-to-improving-your-digital-hygiene-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/tips-tricks\/new-year-reset-a-quick-guide-to-improving-your-digital-hygiene-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year Reset: A Quick Guide to Improving Your Digital Hygiene in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scams didn\u2019t slow down in 2025\u2014and all signs point to the problem getting worse in 2026.<\/p>\n

While the final numbers aren\u2019t in yet, reported losses are already on track to break records. Through just the first half of 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)<\/a> cited nearly $6.5 billion in scam-related losses, putting the year on pace to surpass 2024\u2019s total. And it\u2019s not just isolated incidents: 73% of Americans say they\u2019ve experienced at least one scam or online attack.<\/a><\/p>\n

As scams become more convincing, often powered by AI and designed to blend into everyday digital life, basic \u201cspot the red flag\u201d advice isn\u2019t enough anymore. Protecting yourself now means tightening up your digital hygiene: how you manage passwords, personal data, online accounts, and the everyday tools you rely on to stay safe.<\/p>\n

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The good news is that modern protection has evolved just as quickly as the threats. Many of the most effective safeguards can be set up quickly and then work in the background over time.<\/p>\n

Below, we\u2019ll walk through practical steps you can take to improve your digital hygiene for 2026, using protections included with McAfee+ to help reduce your exposure to scams, data misuse, and identity theft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1) Replace every weak password, starting with your email.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Think about your\u00a0passwords\u00a0and everything they give you access to \u2026 your finances, online shopping accounts, banking, and\u00a0of course every important thing in your email account.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now are\u00a0any of those passwords\u00a0weak, re-used, or highly similar?\u00a0Don\u2019t\u00a0worry if the answer to that is \u201cyes.\u201d You can switch them over to\u00a0<\/span>strong, unique passwords<\/span><\/b>\u00a0across\u00a0all\u00a0your accounts.\u00a0<\/span>Using a password manager<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u202flike\u00a0ours helps you create\u00a0<\/span><\/b>strong, unique\u00a0<\/span><\/b>while also storing them securely.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Quickly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q&A\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/span>Q: Should I use a password manager?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A: Yes.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0the easiest way to create strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts, which protects you from data breaches and hacks.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, what\u00a0makes up\u00a0a\u00a0\u201cstrong and unique\u201d\u00a0password?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u00a0contains\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>mix of 16 uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols while\u00a0never reusing\u00a0that password elsewhere.\u00a0That makes\u00a0the\u00a0password\u00a0incredibly tough to crack and protects your other accounts if\u00a0that\u00a0password gets caught up in a breach (it\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0work on any other account).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, creating strong and unique passwords for your dozens and dozens of accounts can be \u2026 demanding. But\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0where\u00a0a password\u00a0manager comes in<\/strong>. It does that work for you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Delete\u00a0those old accounts and protect yourself from data breaches.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Speaking of all the accounts you have, how many of them do you really need?\u00a0And how many of them have you forgotten about altogether?\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0time to track them down and close them up.\u00a0Why?\u00a0<\/span>Data breaches of\u00a0various sizes\u00a0hack into an estimated\u00a03.5 million accounts on average each day<\/span><\/b>, so the odds of an old account of yours getting compromised are better than you might\u00a0think. <\/span>But where\u00a0do you even\u00a0start?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q&A\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Q: Should I\u00a0delete\u00a0my old accounts?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A: Yes. When you\u00a0delete\u00a0old accounts,\u00a0you reduce your digital footprint and lower the risk of exposure to data breaches, both of which help protect your personal info.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Online Account Cleanup<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0can\u00a0track down those old accounts\u00a0for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>It\u00a0scans for accounts you no longer use and helps you\u00a0delete\u00a0the\u00a0ones you choose, along with your personal info.\u00a0In our\u00a0McAfee+\u00a0Advanced and McAfee+\u00a0Ultimate plans<\/strong>, you get\u00a0full-service Online Account Cleanup, which sends the data deletion requests for you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

3) Keep spammers and scammers at bay by removing personal info from the internet.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Data brokers sell all kinds of info that power all kinds of spam and\u00a0scams.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0one way\u00a0spammers and scammers get contact info like emails and phone numbers, and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0yet another way they get\u00a0<\/span>detailed<\/span><\/i>\u00a0info to target their ads and their attacks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example,\u00a0beyond\u00a0your full name, home address, phone numbers, email addresses,\u00a0and\u00a0date of birth,\u00a0many also have\u00a0info about your family members, employment, and past purchases.\u00a0<\/span>Data brokers might\u00a0gather and sell\u00a0other info like religious and political leanings, health conditions, and employment history.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Simply put, this detailed profile\u00a0makes\u00a0it easier for\u00a0spammers\u00a0and scammers to target you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q&A\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Q: Can people find my detailed personal info online?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, and some of the easiest places to find it are on data broker sites. They\u00a0collect\u00a0and\u00a0analyze\u00a0up to hundreds of bits of personal info, often without your knowledge or consent. Further,\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0sell it to any buyer, including scammers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where do they harvest this info? From public records, shopper loyalty programs, and even from app data\u2014all kinds of sources. And that underscores the\u00a0problem,\u00a0some data brokers keep exhaustive amounts of data about people, all in one place.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0sell it to anyone who pays for it. You can help reduce those\u00a0scam\u00a0texts and calls\u00a0by removing your info from those sites.\u00a0<\/span>A service like\u00a0<\/span><\/b>our Personal Data Cleanup<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0can do that work for you.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0It\u00a0scans\u00a0some of the riskiest data broker sites,\u00a0shows\u00a0you which ones are selling your personal info, and helps you remove it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Protect privacy\u00a0with a VPN\u00a0(it\u2019s\u00a0not just for travel anymore).<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the first things that comes to mind about\u00a0VPNs is\u00a0travel,\u00a0a great way\u00a0you can stay secure while using public Wi-Fi in airports and cafes.\u00a0It works at home as well, giving you an extra layer of security\u00a0when you bank, shop, or do anything that involves sensitive info.\u00a0Yet it offers another big benefit. It helps make you more private,\u00a0because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not just hackers who want to\u00a0snoop on\u00a0you\u00a0online.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q&A Block<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

\u00a0Q: What is a VPN?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0A: A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, hides your IP address and encrypts your internet connection in a secure \u201ctunnel\u201d that shields your online activity from snoops, advertisers, and your Internet Service Provider (ISP).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

For example,\u00a0<\/span>some ISPs\u00a0collect your browsing data.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0In the United States and many other countries, ISPs\u00a0can\u00a0legally\u00a0monitor\u00a0and record info about the websites you visit\u00a0and\u00a0the apps you use.\u00a0They can\u00a0use\u00a0it\u00a0for advertising\u00a0and\u00a0analytics\u00a0purposes, and,\u00a0<\/span>in some cases, they may share it with third parties.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you use a VPN, it encrypts all the data leaving your device and routes it through a secure server.\u00a0As a result, your ISP can only see that you are connected to a VPN server,\u00a0and it\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0track which websites you visit or\u00a0the\u00a0data you send and receive.\u00a0Without a doubt, going online with a VPN makes you safer\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/i>keeps you more private.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5) As AI scams\u00a0become the norm, get a\u00a0scam\u00a0detector working for you.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

We saw big spikes in several types of\u00a0scams\u00a0over the year, and naturally a spike in reported losses followed. One reason for the jump is that AI tools have made it even easier for scammers to create convincing texts, emails, and deepfake videos designed to rip people off.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q&A\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Q: How bad are\u00a0scams\u00a0today?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0A: According to a 2025\u202fPew Research Center\u202fsurvey, 73% of U.S. adults said they\u2019ve experienced at least one online scam or attack, with 32% reporting an incident within the past year.<\/span>iv<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

They\u2019re\u00a0getting tougher to spot too. In the earlier days of AI-created content, you could often spot the telltale signs of a fake.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0not always the case anymore, and\u00a0<\/span>scams\u00a0are looking\u00a0more and more\u00a0sophisticated as AI tools evolve.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But you have tools of your own.\u00a0<\/span>Our\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Scam Detector<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0protects you across text, email, and video by spotting\u00a0scams\u00a0and detecting\u00a0deepfake\u00a0videos<\/span><\/b>\u00a0(like the one of a\u00a0deepfaked\u00a0Taylor Swift promoting a bogus cookware offer). You also have our\u00a0<\/span>Web Protection<\/span><\/a>\u00a0which detects links to\u00a0scam\u00a0sites and other\u00a0sketchy\u00a0corners of the internet while you browse. Both will alert you if a link might take you to\u00a0a sketchy\u00a0site.\u00a0It\u2019ll\u00a0also block those sites if you accidentally tap or click on a bad link.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6) And just in case, get\u00a0the reassurance of\u00a0identity theft protection.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

So,\u00a0let\u2019s\u00a0say\u00a0the\u00a0unfortunate\u00a0happens\u00a0to you. You get scammed.\u00a0Maybe it\u2019s\u00a0a few bucks,\u00a0maybe\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0more.\u00a0You\u2019re\u00a0faced with a\u00a0couple\u00a0issues. One, that money could be gone for good depending on how you paid the scammer. Two, also\u00a0depending\u00a0on the payment method, the scammer might have your financial info.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Q&A\u00a0Block<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Q: What is the cost of identity theft?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A:\u00a0Based on reports to the\u00a0FTC,\u00a0the median loss was\u00a0about $500 in 2024, with more than 10% of victims claiming they\u00a0lost\u00a0$10,000 or more. However, it levels\u00a0an emotional\u00a0cost as well. The time and stress involved in resolving identity theft can be significant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is where something like our\u00a0<\/span><\/b>ID Theft & Restoration Coverage<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0comes in.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0It\u00a0gives you\u00a0up to\u00a0$<\/span>2 million<\/span>\u00a0in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support if it\u2019s determined you\u2019re a victim of identity theft.\u200b\u00a0Further, it puts\u00a0a licensed recovery pro\u00a0on the case to restore your credit and your identity, which takes that time-consuming burden off your shoulders.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scams didn\u2019t slow down in 2025\u2014and all signs point to the problem getting worse in 2026. While the final numbers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1440,"featured_media":224707,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10670,10661,13],"tags":[],"coauthors":[16632],"class_list":["post-224949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-tricks","category-internet-security","category-privacy-identity-protection"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew Year Reset: A Quick Guide to Improving Your Digital Hygiene in 2026 | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scams didn\u2019t slow down in 2025\u2014and all signs point to the problem getting worse in 2026. 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