The checklist
Last reviewed August 2026
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Set up a password manager
Let it invent and remember a different password for every account. On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Apple Passwords is already on your device and free. On a mix of devices, Bitwarden or Proton Pass are both free and work everywhere. Start by saving the passwords you use most — it grows from there.
Note that once you put a password into your manager, you should change it if it is reused elsewhere. Otherwise you are still vulnerable.
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Turn on two-factor authentication for your email
Every "forgot password" link goes to your email, so it guards all your other accounts. Add the second lock there first: Gmail, Outlook, or Apple ID. Then do your bank — its own website will have a "security" section in settings.
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Turn on automatic updates
Updates patch the security holes criminals use. Set them to install themselves: iPhone & iPad, Mac, Android, or Windows.
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Turn on your phone's backup
If your phone is lost or dies, a backup brings everything to the next one. It runs automatically overnight once it's on: iPhone (iCloud) or Android (Google One).
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Practice the one rule
If something wants you to act fast, slow down. Next time an email, text, or call brings urgent bad news, notice the rush — that's the tell. Close it, take a breath, and go check the account the way you always do. Read more on the scams page.
Done with all five?
Then you're ahead of the vast majority of people online, and the common scams have very little left to grab. When you're curious about the "why" behind any of these, the topic pages walk through it: passwords, scams, devices, privacy, and AI.