Learn why phone numbers are critical to online security, how they’re exposed, and practical steps to reduce misuse, scams, and account takeover risks.

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.

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.

People who have their phone numbers online could be at risk for scammers using their number to create a Google Voice phone number. Something as simple as putting a phone number on a Craigslist ad, ...

Phone number verification is the process of verifying that a phone number is valid, reachable and accessible by the user. It is also a popular measure that can be applied to any service or application ...