Online verification has become a big part of how we stay safe and private on the web. Every app, website, or service now wants to confirm you’re real. But giving out your personal number can be risky.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Davey Winder is a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker and analyst. Update, Jan. 25, 2025: This story, originally published Jan.

Giving up your personal phone number to telemarketers or during transactions on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist isn't ideal. Instead of divulging private details to people you don't know, you can ...

If you can’t add a phone number to your Microsoft account, read this post to know how to fix the issue. A few users have not been able to add their phone numbers to the Microsoft account. Whenever ...