Plain-English online safety · 109 guides
Protect your identity, passwords, devices and privacy
Calm, practical steps to keep your accounts, money and family safe online. Free fixes first, the paid tools worth having second, and no scare tactics.
Something already happened?
The manual
Nine chapters, one for each thing worth protecting
- Chapter 01Protect your identityCredit freezes, data breaches and identity theft recovery, with the free government steps first.18 guides
- Chapter 02Protect your passwordsPassword managers, two-factor authentication, passkeys and how to check whether a password has leaked.8 guides
- Chapter 03Protect your devicesAntivirus, software updates and what to do if you think your phone or laptop has been compromised.14 guides
- Chapter 04Protect your privacyVPNs, data broker removal and what limits how much of your life is for sale.28 guides
- Chapter 05Protect your emailPhishing, private email providers and email aliases, because your inbox is the key to every other account.5 guides
- Chapter 06Protect your home networkRouter settings, Wi-Fi passwords and smart home devices, in plain English.4 guides
- Chapter 07Protect your kids onlineParental controls, a first phone and the conversations that matter more than any filter.7 guides
- Chapter 08Protect your small businessA practical security baseline for teams of 1 to 50: accounts, devices, backups and endpoint protection.9 guides
- Chapter 09Protect yourself from scamsThe scams Americans report most to the FTC, how each one works, and what to do if you already paid.16 guides
About 5 minutes
Am I protected?
Ten yes-or-no questions. You get a score and a short list of gaps, each linked to the guide that closes it. Answers are saved in your browser only.
Free first
Four things that cost nothing and stop most attacks
Paid tools help, but the biggest gains are free. Do these before you buy anything, including anything we recommend.
- Step 1Freeze your creditFree at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Stops most new-account fraud.
- Step 2Turn on two-factor sign-inStart with your email and bank. Ten minutes, no cost.
- Step 3Check what has leakedSearch your email on haveibeenpwned.com and change what it finds.
- Step 4Switch on automatic updatesThe single best protection for phones, laptops and routers.
Most-asked questions
- How to freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnionA credit freeze is free, takes about half an hour for all three bureaus, and is the single best defense against someone opening accounts in your name.
- The best password manager for you: 1Password, Bitwarden, Proton Pass and the built-ins comparedAny decent password manager beats reusing passwords. The right one depends on which devices you use, whether you want to pay, and who you share logins with.
- How to remove your info from data broker and people-search sitesPeople-search sites publish your address, phone number and relatives for anyone to find. You can remove most listings yourself for free. It takes a few hours, and it needs repeating.
- Is free antivirus enough? What Microsoft Defender covers and what paid suites addWindows already ships with a capable antivirus. Paid suites add extras that matter to some households and not at all to others. This guide helps you tell which one you are.
- The best VPN services compared: NordVPN, Proton VPN, Mullvad, ExpressVPN and SurfsharkFive well-known VPNs, all with published independent audits. The right one depends on whether you want maximum anonymity, a free tier, or the easiest app.
- How to protect your home Wi-Fi: the router settings that matterA home network is only as secure as the router at the middle of it. Twenty minutes in its settings fixes most of the risk, and a few popular tips are not worth your time.
- How to spot phishing emails and texts (and what to do if you clicked)Phishing works by making you act before you think. These are the lures that show up most, the checks that catch them, and the steps to take if one got through.
- Parental controls: how to set them up on phones, consoles, Wi-Fi and streamingThe free controls built into your kids' devices cover most families. This guide shows how to turn them on, what each does well, and how to loosen them as your child grows.
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