Most digital harm starts with one weak password, one oversharing post, or one convincing message. Check off what you’ve already done, circle what you haven’t, and tackle one item a week.

Accounts and passwords

• Email, banking, and phone carrier accounts use multi-factor authentication (an authenticator app or passkey beats text codes)
• Every important account has its own long, unique password
• Passwords are stored in a password manager, not a notebook or the notes app
• Recovery email and phone number on each account are current
• Phone carrier account has a PIN or port-out lock to block SIM-swap theft

Phones, computers, and home network

• Devices update automatically and are no more than a few days behind
• Every device locks with a PIN, password, or biometric
• Lost-device tracking and remote erase are turned on
• Home Wi-Fi router’s default admin password has been changed
• Important photos and documents are backed up

Scams in the age of AI

AI can now clone a voice from a short clip and write a flawless fake email. Urgency, secrecy, and unusual payment requests are the warning signs.

• Our family has a private safe word for urgent calls asking for money or help
• We hang up and call back on a number we already know before acting on any urgent request
• We never pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency because someone on the phone said to
• We don’t click links in unexpected texts or emails about deliveries, banks, or account problems
• At work, payment or banking-detail changes are confirmed by a second person through a separate channel

Identity and money

• Credit is frozen at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (free; temporarily lift it when you apply for credit)
• Bank and card alerts are on for every transaction
• Statements and credit reports are reviewed regularly (free at AnnualCreditReport.com)
• Children’s credit is frozen too — kids are prime identity-theft targets

Kids, teens, and social media

• Social media profiles are private, and friend lists are limited to people we know
• We post trips and locations after we’re back home, not while we’re away
• Photos don’t show school names, uniforms, street signs, or our house number
• Location sharing in apps is turned off except with trusted family
• Our kids know never to share their address, school, or schedule with anyone online
• Our kids know to tell us right away if anyone online asks for photos, secrets, or a meetup — and that they won’t be in trouble for telling
• We’ve talked about sextortion: it’s a crime against the child, never their fault, and we’ll help

If something goes wrong

Act fast: change passwords, call your bank, and report it.