Amber Bouman
Amber Bouman is the senior editor for security at Tom's Guide where she covers everything from home security cameras and identity theft to password breaches, password managers and antivirus software.
Previous to joining the Tom's Guide team, Amber spent two years covering parenting technology at Reviewed. She also spent five years as a parenting editor and community manager at Engadget, and has worked at TechHive, Wirecutter, Maximum PC and PC World covering smartphones, parenting tech, B2B, PC builds, tech accessories, apps and more.
A California native, Amber currently lives in rural New England and has been testing apps and products for over fifteen years. She has worked as a consumer advocate, helping find resolutions for common customer problems. As a former comment moderator and community editor, she became invested in the topics of internet security and safety, identity theft, online disinformation and the safety of women and marginalized communities online.
Latest articles by Amber Bouman

New malware uses infected VPN apps to take over your device — here's how to stay safe
By Amber Bouman published
Newly identified malware can steal your information, as well as gather keystrokes and screenshots.

I put Bitdefender vs Norton antivirus through a 7-round face-off — here's the winner
By Amber Bouman published
Bitdefender and Norton are both excellent antivirus programs, but which one is best suited for your PC?

Apple’s new photo feature in iOS 18 is sending data to its servers — how to turn it off
By Amber Bouman published
A new feature in iOS 18 is sending photo data back to Apple by default, putting your privacy at risk, but it's easy to turn off.

5 worst data breaches of 2024 — including the mother of all breaches
By Amber Bouman last updated
There were dozens of data breaches this year, and these five were the ones that affected the largest number of people.

What is social engineering and how to avoid becoming a victim
By Amber Bouman published
Social engineering is one way threat actors can employ their scams both online and in the real world.

Phishing: What is it, and how to avoid it
By Amber Bouman published
Phishing is a method used by hackers to try and trick you out of your information - but you're too smart for that.

Google Chrome just rolled out a huge AI upgrade to help protect you from scams
By Amber Bouman published
Google's newest AI features in Chrome could make your online browsing even safer.

Nearly 6 million people exposed by massive healthcare breach — including credit cards, SSNs and more
By Amber Bouman published
A ransomware attack of Ascension hospital systems exposed the data of 5.6 million people.

Google Gmail warning issued for billions of users — watch out for these holiday scams
By Amber Bouman published
Google released a warning about the most common scams it is seeing this year and you should be prepared.

New Google Calendar notification attack could be hiding in your inbox — here's how to protect yourself
By Amber Bouman published
This new attack method is using Google Calendar to try to bypass security measures and phish victims.

Data breach at Texas Tech University leaks personal data of 1.4 million patients
By Amber Bouman published
A data breach has exposed the personal data of 1.4 million patients at the Texas Tech University system.

Digital license plates can be hacked to avoid tolls, fines and tickets
By Amber Bouman published
Digital license plates from Reviver have been hacked by a security researcher which could evade tolls or law enforcement.

Apple Passwords app affected by critical bug — update to iOS 18.2 now
By Amber Bouman published
The iOS 18.2 update fixes a critical bug in Apple's Passwords app that could open up users to a malicious attack.

Only 3 of the top 150 Android apps can detect reverse engineering tool Frida — here's why that's bad
By Amber Bouman published
Frida is a popular tool used by security researchers to examine apps but hackers could also use it to reverse engineer them.

Microsoft just fixed 72 Windows security flaws — update your PC right now
By Amber Bouman published
Microsoft's final Patch Tuesday of the year fixes 72 new Windows security flaws.

Charging your iPhone? You might want to stay away from third-party USB-C cables
By Amber Bouman published
A new charging cable hack is the perfect reminder to avoid cheap, third-party cables and only use first-party ones to charge your devices.

Fake video conferencing app is stealing passwords and spreading malware — how to stay safe
By Amber Bouman published
Threat actors are using fake meeting apps to steal information and spread malware.

New rule would make it much harder for data brokers to sell your personal info
By Amber Bouman published
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau hopes to regulate data brokers the same way it does credit bureaus and background check companies.

I used iVerify’s $1 app to scan my iPhone for the dangerous Pegasus spyware — here's what happened
By Amber Bouman last updated
Spyware is one of the biggest threats for iPhone users but this new app can scan your device to look for any signs of danger.

FBI tells iPhone and Android users to stop texting each other amid major security breach
By Amber Bouman published
The FBI is warning Americans that they should use an encrypted messaging app instead of texting following a string of data breaches at US telecoms.

Hackers are now using corrupted files to bypass your antivirus software — how to stay safe
By Amber Bouman published
Hackers are now using broken and corrupt files to spread malware since antivirus software struggles to scan them.

I'm a security editor and I just found the best antivirus Cyber Monday deals for up to 85% off
By Amber Bouman last updated
These Cyber Monday sales on antivirus software will keep all your devices safe throughout the year.

Snag this tiny, capable Wyze security camera for just $10 on Cyber Monday
By Amber Bouman last updated
The Wyze Cam OG is down to its lowest price ever in this epic deal that's been extended through Cyber Monday.
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