Ellie Farrier | Staff Cybersecurity Writer and Editor

Areas of interest and expertise

Latest articles by Ellie Farrier

A padlock sits on a motherboard, which represents strong data security.

What is data security? Key principles and protection strategies

An image of an underwater spear fisherman, which symbolizes a spear phishing attack.

What is spear phishing? Definition and examples

An image of someone reading a wrong number text scam.

Wrong number text scams: How they work and tips to spot them

A woman searching how to change IP address on her laptop.

How to change your IP address on any device

A man in a yellow sweatshirt looking at his phone learning about social media scams.

9 social media scams to watch out for

A woman opens a package from Poshmark.

Is Poshmark safe? 9 common Poshmark scams to look out for

A rocket launch signifies freeing up RAM on your PC or Mac.

How to free up RAM on PC or Mac

A hand holding a TV remote controller pointing at a TV trying to cancel a streaming subscription.

How to cancel subscriptions in 4 simple steps and avoid unwanted spending

A gamer signs plays on Steam, ensuring to avoid unsolicited communications and Steam card scams.

What are Steam card scams? A gamer’s guide to staying safer

A person contemplates whether to use Tor or VPN while connecting to the internet on vacation.

Tor vs. VPN: What's the difference and which is more private?

A closed road representing the question: Do VPNs block ads?

Do VPNs block ads? 8 ad-blocking VPNs

A woman gazing fondly at her AI assistant smart speaker.

What is an AI assistant? Definition and capabilities

A padlock and keys represent how to create a secure password for your online accounts.

How to create a secure password

A snail slowly crawls across a red running track with a white dividing line, illustrating the frustration of Google Chrome running slowly.

Why is Chrome so slow? 11 tips to speed up your browser

A large crack in a sheet of rock offers a glimpse of a blue sky with clouds.

What is a data breach and why should you care?

A man looking at his phone wondering “can iPhones get hacked?”

Yes, iPhones can get hacked. Learn how

Articles reviewed by Ellie Farrier

A crimson safe representing personal data that’s been secured following a data breach.

What to do after a data breach or leak: 7 steps

An image of multiple car tunnels symbolizing different VPN options to choose from.

How to choose a VPN that actually keeps you safe

A man uses a brush to remove dust from his graphics card fans.

How to clean your PC in 16 steps

A phone screen displaying a matrix of characters, numbers, and letters.

How to remove a hacker from your phone in 8 steps

A dial gauge representing the range of different credit scores.

What are credit score ranges? Learn the good and bad credit tiers

A person holding a mobile phone with a VPN showing that it’s connected to a private server.

Is a VPN worth it in 2026? How to protect your privacy and feel safer online

A photograph of a confident woman checking her iPhone for viruses.

How to check for viruses on iPhone + steps to fix it

Somebody disconnecting a router from the internet by unplugging the ethernet cable.

How to tell if someone hacked your router: 10 warning signs

A user opens the ChatGPT interface and refrains from sharing personal information.

Is ChatGPT safe? Risks and information you should never share

A tunnel in the side of a hill acts as a metaphor for a VPN tunnel that encrypts data you send and receive online.

What is a VPN tunnel and how does it work?

A picture of a slow browser endlessly buffering.

Why is my browser so slow? 12 tips to speed it up

An employee badges into their workspace as part of their company’s physical Zero Trust security protocol.

What is Zero Trust security? Core principles and benefits

An image of a suspected spam text on a mobile phone.

How to stop spam texts: 7 easy strategies

An overhead picture of a traffic circle representing IP rotation.

What is IP rotation, and how does it work?

A woman upgrading her PC to Windows 11 because Windows 10 has reached its end of life.

Windows 10 End of Life (EOL): Norton to continue providing security updates

AI-generated image of a man wearing a yellow sweatshirt in front of a microphone asking what are deepfakes?

What are deepfakes? How they work and how to spot them

Oliver Buxton

Oliver Buxton

Staff Cybersecurity Editor

Crissy Joshua

Crissy Joshua

Staff Cybersecurity Editor

Mark Birchall

Mark Birchall

Staff Cybersecurity Editor

Jeremy Coppock

Jeremy Coppock

Staff Cybersecurity Editor

Jan Mazal

Jan Mazal

Senior Product Marketing Manager, VPN and Privacy

Benjamin Gorman

Benjamin Gorman

Contributing Cybersecurity Writer

Michelle Robins

Michelle Robins

Contributing Cybersecurity Editor

Anthony Freda

Anthony Freda

Contributing Cybersecurity Writer

Danielle Bodnar

Danielle Bodnar

Contributing Cybersecurity Writer

Brenna Cleary

Brenna Cleary

Staff Social Media Marketing Manager

Anna Wratislav

Anna Wratislav

Contributing Cybersecurity Writer

Deepan Ghimiray

Deepan Ghimiray

Contributing Cybersecurity Writer