Four Simple Steps to Protect Your Family Online (CISA Video Guide)

Most online trouble starts the same few ways: a reused password, an account with no second lock, a convincing fake message, or a device that missed an update. This short public-service video from CISA covers the four habits that block most of it. Watch it with your household, then use the steps below to put each habit in place.

From the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) · Part of our Online Safety Video Library

What the video shows

The video introduces CISA’s Secure Our World program and its four everyday habits for families: use strong passwords, turn on multifactor authentication, recognize and report phishing, and keep software updated.

It is aimed at everyone, not just tech-savvy people. The message is that these steps are quick, free, and work best when the whole family does them together.

Key takeaways

• Use a long, unique password for every account, and let a password manager remember them.
• Turn on multifactor authentication (also called two-step verification) on email, banking, and social media first.
• Treat urgent or too-good-to-be-true messages as possible phishing: don’t click, report, and delete.
• Turn on automatic updates on every phone, tablet, and computer in the house.
• Share these habits with older relatives and kids, since one weak account can affect the whole family.

Put the four habits in place this week

You do not need to do everything in one sitting. Work through these in order; each one takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

1. Start a password manager. Add your email, bank, and phone carrier accounts first. See A Password Manager for a Household.
2. Turn on two-step sign-in for email. Your email can reset almost every other password, so protect it first. An authenticator app is a strong choice; our authenticator app guide compares free options.
3. Agree on a phishing rule. If a message is urgent or asks you to sign in, pay, or share a code, nobody clicks the link. Go to the company’s website or app directly instead.
4. Turn on automatic updates. Check the settings on each device for system and app updates. Our guide What Is a Software Vulnerability, and Why Do Updates Matter? explains why this matters.
5. Check again in a month. Add a few more accounts to the password manager and turn on two-step sign-in for banking and social media.

Doing this for an older parent or a child

Sit together and do the steps on their device rather than describing them. For an older parent, start with their email and bank and write down where their recovery codes are kept. For a child, set up the habits alongside parental controls, such as iPhone Screen Time or Google Family Link.

Common questions

Do I really need a password manager?

For most people, yes. Remembering a different strong password for every account is not realistic. A password manager does it for you, and the free options built into phones are a fine place to start. See our review of the built-in options.

Is a text-message code good enough for two-step sign-in?

It is far better than nothing. An authenticator app or a passkey is stronger, because text messages can sometimes be redirected by scammers. Use the strongest option the account offers.

Will automatic updates break my device?

Rarely. The risk of skipping updates is much higher, because many updates fix security flaws that attackers already know about.

Related guides

• How to Stay Safe Online in the United States
• Phishing, Malware, and Ransomware: What’s the Difference?
• Bitwarden Review: A Free Password Manager for the Whole Family
• The 15-Minute Family Safety Reset

About this video

This video was produced by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a U.S. government agency, and plays from the agency’s own channel. Juggling Chaos wrote this summary and guide; we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the agency. Some details on screen, such as phone models or web addresses, may look dated, but the advice still applies. Checked October 7, 2026.

CISA has more short videos on each habit on its Secure Our World video page.