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A typical home network now carries phones, laptops, TVs, doorbells, baby monitors, speakers and cameras. Each device is a possible door into the network, and a camera is one of the most sensitive, since it can show the inside of your home. The good news is that a handful of settings do most of the work. This checklist follows the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidance on securing home Wi-Fi networks and home security cameras . For router basics, also see our guides on securing your home Wi-Fi router and changing your router's default password . Menus differ by brand, so use your manufacturer's instructions for exact steps. Why Cameras Need Special Care The FTC notes that cameras that stream live video, including doorbell cameras, baby monitors and security cameras, can be hacked. They are typically controlled through an app, so the security of the camera depends on several links: the camera, the app account, the router and your Wi-Fi. A weakness in any one can expose the...

Handing a child a phone means handing them a window to the whole internet. Parental controls will not solve everything, and no setting replaces a conversation, but they do give you a practical safety net: control over apps, screen time, purchases and who can contact your child. This guide walks through the built-in tools on iPhone ( Screen Time with Family Sharing ) and Android ( Family Link and on-device parental controls), based on Apple and Google support pages. Menus change between versions, so treat the paths below as a guide and use the vendors' help pages to confirm the current steps. Start With the Account, Not the Phone Both platforms build controls around a child's own account. Apple says that to use Screen Time and parental controls you need Family Sharing set up, and each family member should have their own Apple Account, with a Child Account for children. It stresses that a child should not share an account with another family member. Google's Family Link ...

Online and mobile banking are convenient, and they are also a favorite target. Criminals want your login, your card details or your cooperation in moving money. Most of the damage comes not from dramatic hacking but from ordinary mistakes: a reused password, a rushed click or a phone call that sounded like the bank. This guide gives you twelve habits that make your banking much safer. They rely on advice from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) , the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) . Check your own bank's security page for features it offers. 1. Give Your Bank Login a Unique, Strong Password The FDIC advises a strong and unique passphrase or password for each online account so that unauthorized access to one does not spread to others. CISA suggests a password of at least 16 characters that is random and not reused, and recommends a password manager to create and store them. If your bank's password i...

Type your name into a search engine and you may find a site offering your age, home address, phone number and the names of your relatives. Those sites are called people-search sites, and they are one kind of data broker. Their reports are useful to scammers and stalkers, and they make identity thieves' work easier. This guide explains how these sites work, how to ask them to stop selling your information, what you can realistically expect, and how to do it without handing over more data than necessary. It follows the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidance on people-search sites . What Data Brokers and People-Search Sites Do The FTC explains that companies known as data brokers collect information about us and sell or share it with others. People-search sites are a type of data broker. They may buy data from other brokers, collect details from public social media profiles, and compile information from federal, state and local government public records. The FTC lists public rec...

Every few months, someone asks whether they need to pay for antivirus software. The honest answer depends on the device, the habits of the person using it, and what you expect the software to do. Modern computers now ship with more protection than many people realize. This guide explains what Windows Security (Microsoft Defender Antivirus) and macOS (Gatekeeper, notarization and XProtect) provide, what they do not cover, and how to decide whether you want an additional product. It uses vendor documentation from Microsoft and Apple, plus advice from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). What Windows Security Includes Microsoft's support pages say that Microsoft Defender Antivirus comes built into Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is managed through the Windows Security app, where the Virus and threat protection area lets you run scans and review threats. Microsoft says its security software protects against malware, spyware, adware and other unwanted software, and that you do not need...