How to avoid getting scammed online in 2026

If there’s anything last year’s Qantas data breach has taught us, it’s that your online information isn’t as secure as you think it is. While you may think you’ve secured your digital footprint by using ‘strong’ passwords or switching to incognito mode, there’s a world of online trackers and threats waiting for one slip-up to weasel their way onto your devices. And unfortunately, slip-ups do happen from time to time. Before you purchase with your card details or enter your shipping address, we at PCMag have a couple of tips to make sure your data is secure while browsing online: Though this seems pretty obvious from the outset, remembering to regularly change your passwords is harder than you think—especially when you’re one to forget easily. Yet, the first and best way to maintain your security is to switch up your credentials every few months. If you often struggle thinking of a strong password, you can always rely on Bitdefender’s Password Manager to store or generate a password mixed with letters, numbers, and symbols. Your online security will be stronger than ever. Using phishing emails or links to infect your devices is a hackers’ favourite way to get your personal details.