How securing your email can reduce your exposure to cybercrime

They had Her email.

10 simple cybersecurity solutions for a safer 2026

Think about what lives inside you now. Bank data. Medical results. Your retirement account, your mortgage company, every streaming service, and every store you bought anything at. Here’s the part that should keep you out of the cold: every password reset link on the planet is delivered straight to your inbox.

The criminal doesn’t need that Hacking your bank. They just need your inbox. One account. Every other door swings wide open. This is not a flaw in the system. This is how email is designed to work. Most people protect it with the same password they’ve used since the Bush administration.

no. Not anymore.

Cybercriminals roam the web to obtain information about banking, personal documents, and other related accounts. Experts say your email can be a gateway to this activity. (Sergey Sobinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Here’s how fast it actually happens

The criminal goes to your bank’s website. Click “Forgot Password” and type your email address. The bank sends a reset link to your inbox. The criminal, already inside your email, clicks on it, creates a new password and gets straight in. Then they do it on your Amazon. Your PayPal. Your brokerage. Your health insurance portal.

Each calculation takes about 60 seconds. It’s less effort than ordering pizza.

the FBI This scam is called account takeover fraud, and it cost Americans $2.7 billion last year alone. The part that should really bother you: 81% of victims said they thought they were “very careful” about security beforehand. (Their words, not mine).

Be aware of fraudulent emails claiming your data has been stolen

Three movements. No excuses

1. Get a real password for your email now.

If your email password is less than 16 characters or has been reused elsewhere, change it today. I use Nord Pass ($1.43 per month) to create passwords that look like a cat walking across your keyboard. You remember one master password. He handles the rest. That’s the whole deal.

Experts say that securing your email can reduce your exposure and vulnerability to cybercrime. (Cyberguy.com)

2. Turn on two-factor authentication. But not the text message version.

Two factors means even if someone steals your password, They still couldn’t get in without a second code. good. But here’s what most people don’t know: SMS codes can be hacked through a so-called SIM swap attack. A criminal calls your cell carrier, sweet-talks a customer service representative and transfers your phone number to their device. Now your “secure” text codes go directly to it.

is used Google Authenticator instead of. It generates codes on your actual phone, not through your carrier. Go to your email account security settings and replace SMS verification with an authenticator app. It takes five minutes.

The new email scam uses hidden characters to bypass previous filters

3. Review every app connected to your inbox.

Every time you click “Sign in with Google” to access some website or app, you’ve handed that app a key to your email. Some of these applications can Read your messages. Some can send emails impersonating you. I did this audit last year and found 34 apps that could access my Gmail account. Thirty-four. The apps you completely forgot about are there, and they still hold the master key to everything.

Now go here: myaccount.google.com > Security > Third-party apps that can access the account. Delete anything you don’t know or aren’t actively using. gold.

Experts say taking a few simple steps to audit apps and emails will protect you from cybercrime vulnerabilities. (CyberGuy.com)

Your bank has a fraud department. Your credit card has Zero liability protection. Your email? No one covers it but you

Twenty minutes. Three movements. Lisa wishes she had done this on a boring Sunday afternoon instead of a panicked Tuesday night.

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Your mailbox is either a fortress or an open door. There is no in between. And unlike your front door, this one doesn’t even need a latch. Just a strong wish.

Kim Komando is America’s digital goddess, heard on 510 radio stations across the country. For more tips on staying safe online, visit Komando.com.