Steph Trejos
Steph Trejos is a Senior Product Testing Editor at All About Cookies, where she has personally tested over 200 digital security products on PC, Mac, iPhone, and Android. She has also contributed to writing product reviews and informational guides on data security and identity theft protection.
Her role is built around hands-on product evaluation: when a security product is reviewed at All About Cookies, Steph tests it. Steph applies her firsthand testing knowledge to create rating systems and methodologies that are balanced, comprehensive, and helpful for readers. She has authored and edited over 425 articles on digital privacy and security for AAC.
What distinguishes Steph's testing is the credential framework behind it. She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) — a formal, exam-based credential awarded by ACAMS, the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists and the world's largest anti-financial crime professional body. That certification reflects demonstrated expertise in financial crime, fraud patterns, and cyber threats that make identity theft protection, VPNs, and antivirus software genuinely necessary — not just desirable. She understands the threat landscape these products are designed to address, which makes her evaluation of whether a product actually delivers on its claims more substantive than surface-level feature testing.
Before joining All About Cookies, Steph served as an editorial assistant at ACAMS, where she produced and edited publications on money laundering, terrorist financing, and cyber threats. She subsequently edited financial crime and cybersecurity content at FinanceBuzz. Across more than 350 articles edited at All About Cookies, her deepest vertical coverage spans VPNs, antivirus software, and identity theft protection — the same threat categories that defined her earlier career.
Steph holds a B.A. in Mass Communication/Media Studies & English: Editing, Writing, and Media from Florida State University.
When she's not testing products, Steph enjoys watching movies and trying new restaurants.
- ACAMS Today
- FinanceBuzz
- Identity Theft
- Data Security
- VPNs
- Antivirus
- Password Managers
- Ad Blockers
- Parental Controls
- Credit Monitoring
- Online Privacy
- B.A. in English Literature and Media/Communications from Florida State University
- Mac or PC: Both
- Android or iPhone: iPhone
Steph's Latest Articles
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Is AliExpress Legit? What's Changed for Shoppers in 2026
AliExpress offers some of the best deals you can find on the internet, but is the China-based marketplace a safe place to shop?
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TotalAV vs. Bitdefender 2026: Low Price or Top Protection?
Dive into our in-depth comparison to discover whether TotalAV's low intro price or Bitdefender's stronger protection and long-term value suits your needs better.
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Norton Family Review 2026: A Lightweight Solution With No Conversation Monitoring
Norton Family is an affordable, easy to use, and hard for kids to uninstall, but the missing conversation monitoring may be a dealbreaker for some parents.
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RoboForm vs. 1Password 2026: Secure Your Digital Kingdom
Explore the ultimate password management showdown: RoboForm vs 1Password, as we compare features, security, and pricing.
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How To Protect Your Device From Locky Ransomware
Locky ransomware is a nasty, but sophisticated attack that can cost you more than you may think. We’ll teach you how to remove Locky ransomware from your device and provide tips to avoid ransomware.
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Bitdefender SecurePass Review 2026: Is It Good Enough for Your Passwords?
Bitdefender SecurePass is a great option to securely store your passwords, especially if you already use other Bitdefender products.
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How to Torrent Safely
Embark on a journey to master torrenting and discover how combining a VPN with antivirus software will help you torrent safely.
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Is Omegle Safe for Kids? Tips To Keep Your Child Secure Online
Online chat site Omegle routinely exposes children to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and extremism. Here’s what you need to do to keep your kids safe while they are online.
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ClearVPN Review 2026: Is It a Clear Choice for a VPN?
A low-cost VPN with a good number of features, ClearVPN unblocks most streaming services but isn't the fastest VPN for the price.
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Bark Review 2026: A Parental Control App With a Unique Approach
Bark earned a 4.7 star rating due to its comprehensive monitoring unique hardware options, broad device coverage, though its alerts aren't always real-time.
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The Best Dark Web Monitoring Services of 2026
Bad actors sell your SSN and personal info on the dark web to the highest bidder, putting you in the crosshairs of identity thieves. That's why the best identity theft services include dark web monitoring.
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What Is Wave Browser? How To Safely Remove the Unwanted Web Browser
If you’ve realized Wave Browser has appeared on your device, you might be wondering if it’s safe. We’ll show you what Wave Browser may be doing and how to remove it.
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Best Data Removal Services of 2026 (Tested & Ranked)
The All About Cookies team tested 13 data removal services with our own data. Three stood out: Incogni, DeleteMe, and Aura.
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Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home Review 2026: Good Protection for the Tech-Savvy
Emsisoft bills itself as next-gen anti-malware software that can beat the meager issues caused by viruses while tackling big, bad malware. But is it too technical for the average home user?
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The Best LastPass Alternatives 2026
Whether you’re new to password managers or just moving away from LastPass, we recommend RoboForm, 1Password, NordPass, or Keeper to get you started. Here's why.
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NordPass vs. LastPass 2026: NordPass is Feature-Rich and Breach-Free
NordPass is best for users looking for an overall excellent password management experience, while LastPass is best for its free service (if you aren’t wary of its data breach history).
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The Best Antivirus Software With VPNs 2026
Based on our rigorous testing, we think the best real-time antivirus protection with a VPN are Surfshark Antivirus, Bitdefender, and Norton 360. Here's why.
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NordPass vs. Dashlane 2026: Can NordPass Dash Ahead?
NordPass is the software you want when you require an entire password suite for an incredible price, but Dashlane does allow slightly more users for their family plan.
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Google One VPN Review 2026: Cheap and Secure but Bare Bones
Google VPN encrypted your traffic but lacked additional capabilities like split tunneling, torrenting, or streaming geo-restricted content.
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NordVPN vs. VyprVPN 2026: Who Emerges as the Victor?
NordVPN and VyprVPN are both known for their enhanced security, from their proprietary protocols to their audited no-logs policies. But one of these failed our kill switch test and consistently dropped our speeds.
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HitmanPro.Alert Antivirus Review 2026: Is It Too Light for an Antivirus?
If you’re a Windows user, you may want to use HitmanPro.Alert, but we don't recommend it. It’s a malware removal and antivirus tool that can integrate into your current antivirus or as a standalone against online threats.