Say hello to a tech-tacular Saturday, friend! Let’s start with a quick fix. If your internet is laggy, turn off your router and modem for at least 45 seconds. Then, power it back up the right way. First, turn on the modem. Give it a minute or two to establish a connection with your ISP. (You’ll know it’s ready when the lights are steady.) Finally, turn on the router. Ah, a fresh start for a perkier connection!

Your info is for sale everywhere. Between data brokers, advertisers, stalkers and scammers, everything from your address to your Social Security number is floating around the web for anyone willing to pay. I used Incogni to remove it all for me. You really need to do the same. More below. — Kim

It’s easy to push aside news of a data breach; there are just so many, it’s all turned into white noise. The Change Healthcare hack alone exposed one-third of Americans. Spoiler: I alert you to a breach affecting Taylor Swift fans below.

So, what do you do if your data is exposed? Your No. 1 goal is to protect yourself from future scams.

Do these things right away

Make a list of your data that was exposed. Keep a document, Post-it, a note on your phone — whatever. Be suspicious of anyone who references it in an email or phone call to prove they’re legit. Say your home address was leaked and someone contacts you about an issue with your mortgage. Yep, it’s probably a scam.

Watch your money, honey. Update your PIN and banking login credentials. Even if they weren’t involved directly in the breach, hackers can use your personal info to access it. Keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements.

Freeze your credit. This will keep scammers from opening a credit card or loan in your name. Like setting up a fraud alert, you'll need to contact each of the three credit bureaus.

Crooks love to play the long game

They’ll wait until your guard is down and target you months after the initial breach.

• Be wary of any email requests. Even if a request ends up being legit, it’s OK to take your time to figure it out. If it’s the first you’re hearing of something, it’s not urgent. Better safe than sorry.
• Watch out for health care-related requests. If you receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) or a bill for services you didn't receive, contact your health care provider and insurance company right away.
• If you get an out-of-the-blue message from an old friend, be extremely cautious. Hackers love to use your info to pose as friends or family.

Take these steps to protect yourself now, and share this with fam, friends and coworkers. Future you will thank you.

As many as 7.5 million people are cyberstalked every year. Creeps can easily find your info online, then they use it to harass you however they want. I hear from stalking victims all the time, and the person responsible is often tech-savvy.

If it’s a stranger harassing you online, that’s one thing. But it gets even worse if they find your address and get to you in person. That’s why I use and trust Incogni. They know where to find my information all across the web and wipe it out for me.

They can do the same for you, too. It’s easy to set up and use Incogni. I love that all you have to do is create a profile, and then they get to work on your behalf.

🚨 Heads-up, iPhone users: There’s a malicious text going around trying to steal your Apple ID info. It reads, “Apple important request iCloud: Visit signin[.]authen-connexion … to continue using your services.” The URL is fake, and I left part out so you don’t accidentally click it!

Stick-it master: Hackers stole 193 million Ticketmaster barcodes valued at $22.6 billion. This includes 440,000 tickets to future dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Hackers accepted $1 million for the data, but now they want $8 million. Who’s paying those "processing fees" and "venue charges" now? If you have concert tickets, make sure they’re legit before you head out.

❤️ An MIT expert warns: Don’t fall in love with an AI chat companion. The bots aren’t capable of caring about you, and the fake intimacy is setting folks up for unrealistic expectations in the real world. An AI friend, sure, but end it there, folks.

Tech to catch political sign thieves: Campaign staffers are putting Apple AirTags in their political posters to track stolen property and find the crooks. At $29 per AirTag, it’s cheaper than hiring a PI and more effective than watching security footage.

Have a YouTube channel? Check out the awesome eraser tool. It uses AI to detect and remove copyrighted music without affecting dialogue or sound effects. It’s not perfect (the tool might struggle if the song is "hard" to remove), but it beats losing money because your video got flagged.

DIY revolution: This is interesting. Virtual plumbers and electricians are helping folks tackle home repairs over video calls. For instance, an online appliance repairman charges $3 a minute instead of his $100 in-person fee (paywall link). Wonder if they ask for a tip.

🤝 I want to be your secret helper and mentor: I’ve been around tech forever. My business has thrived for over 20 years without any debt or investors, and I continue to innovate or else I might evaporate. I’m a mom and have been a caregiver. If you have an issue, problem or question about your life or business, I would love to help you. Ask me your questions here on my site. I read every single note.

Say “yoga”: Tips and tricks for family photos good enough to print.

💸 Low on funds? Cash-advance apps aren’t your friend.

Saving money is cool: Upgrade your home and cut down your power bill on the cheap.

Bargain alert: $9 power strip for home or travel.

Share this: The “phony invoice” scam works if you’re caught off guard.

👋 Hello, officer: Yeah, I got pulled over in my Porsche.

It’s the pits: Put down the knife and use this tool to cut avocados.

🔄 Restart in Recovery mode: Use this next time your Mac is unresponsive. For older Intel Macs, click the Apple logo > Restart > then immediately hold down Cmd + R until the Apple logo or spinning globe appears. For newer M‑series Macs, turn the power off, press and hold the power button, then click Options > Continue to open in Recovery mode.

Customize your AI output: You can block certain words or phrases an AI chatbot is spitting out. Just type “--no [words]” in your prompt to exclude one or more. Note: Use exactly two hyphens and closing square brackets for it to work properly.

Say no: If your bank asks you to set up your voice profile attached to your account, decline. You can bet hackers are trolling the internet to get clips of folks talking to make their own deepfake copies. A fingerprint or a solid password are safer login methods.

📍 Where am I? Ask your smartphone! So handy on vacation or if you’re lost. You’ll get your address and location on a map, which you can then share. Just say, "Hey, Siri” or “Hey, Google,” followed by, “Where am I?"

Charges you forgot about: Amazon Subscribe & Save is handy when it’s stuff you want and annoying when it’s stuff you just forgot to cancel. From Your Account, select Memberships & Subscriptions or Subscribe & Save Items to see a list of your subscriptions, costs and renewal dates.

Vacation upgrade: Before you sign onto the in-flight or hotel Wi‑Fi, turn on a VPN. It’s a layer of protection and privacy between you, hackers and the network. Get an extra three months of my VPN pick here.*

• Outfit your office with acoustic panels. These are under $20 and work on different types of surfaces.
• Slide this stopper (25% off) under the door, and your room is instantly cushioned from sound outside.
• Reduce up to 90% of noise with these over-the-ear headphones (43% off). Switch to Transparent mode when you need to hear the dog or kids.
• White noise machines can help cancel out chatter coming from elsewhere or help you focus. This one is portable and offers six white noise sounds. Get it on sale for $24.
• New parents (or grandparents) can keep this noise-canceling ear protection on hand for infants and toddlers up to age 2. These kid-approved earmuffs are on sale for $16 and last.

There’s going to be some stiff competition.

Three minutes to get your privacy back: That’s how long it took me to set up an Incogni account. For months, they’ve worked in the background to get my info off scummy data-broker and people-search sites. Try it yourself with my 60% off link. You’ll be so glad you did.

📻 A face for radio: The weekend is here and my national radio show is airing all across the country, loaded with tech goodness not found in this newsletter. Find your local station or hit this link to open The Kim Komando Show as a podcast on your preferred player.

Speaking of, as we were driving down the road, "Sweet Caroline" came on the radio. I told my son, "Little-known fact: Neil Diamond’s real name is Neil Coal." Ian said, “Really? I did not know that.” I replied, “Yup, until the pressure got to him." He didn’t laugh, either, but I did! Hit those ratings below, and I’ll be back tomorrow with another tech-fabulous free newsletter! — Kim