Free Family Safety Checkup: 20 Steps

Most families have done some of the big safety steps and meant to get around to the rest. This free checkup turns them into one list of 20 so you can see where you stand. Tick what your household already has in place. Each step you have not done links to a plain-English guide. Nothing you tick is saved or sent anywhere. Checked October 25, 2026.

Accounts and devices

Every adult’s main email account has two-step verification turned on. We use a password manager, or at least no two important accounts share a password. Password manager guide Phones, tablets and computers install updates automatically. Our mobile accounts have a port-out PIN or number lock to stop SIM swaps. SIM swap guide We know how to recover a hacked social media account. Account recovery guide

Money and scams

Every adult’s credit is frozen at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Credit freeze guide Our children’s credit is frozen, or we have checked that no file exists. Child credit freeze guide Everyone knows the rule: gift cards are only for gifts. Gift card rule We have a family code word for real emergencies. Emergency scam plan Bank and card alerts are turned on for large or unusual transactions. A ‘who to call’ sheet with our bank and card numbers is filled in and kept at home. Who to call printable

Kids and teens

Parental controls are set up on each child’s phone, tablet and console. App and game guides In-game and app store purchases need a parent’s approval. In-game spending guide Phones and tablets charge outside bedrooms overnight. Screen time and sleep Our children know they can tell us about anything online without losing their device. Family tech agreement We have talked about what to do if someone asks for photos or threatens them. What to do printable

Older relatives

Scam call blocking is turned on for an older parent’s phone. Stop scam calls guide An older relative has agreed who to call before sending money to anyone new. Tech plan for older parents The scam fridge card is up by their phone or computer. Fridge card We check in about tech and money regularly, without judgment.

Steps done: of 20

Do not try to finish everything today. Pick the two unticked steps that would hurt most if something went wrong, often the credit freeze and the family code word, and do those this week. Then come back next month.

Where to start if you have only 15 minutes

Some steps protect far more than others. If time is short, these four give the most protection for the least effort:

Turn on two-step verification for email. Your email account is the key that resets every other password. Protecting it protects everything else.
Freeze your credit. It is free in the U.S., takes a few minutes per bureau online, and stops most new-account fraud. You can lift it for a day when you apply for credit.
Agree a family code word. It takes one conversation and defeats most “family emergency” and AI voice clone calls.
Turn on automatic updates. Updates fix the security holes attackers use. Setting them to install automatically means nobody has to remember.

Why these 20 steps

The checklist draws on the same advice that government agencies such as the FTC and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) give households. CISA’s basic steps are strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, software updates and recognizing phishing. We have added the family layer: children’s settings, older relatives, and the agreements that make it easier for people to ask for help.

The steps about conversations matter as much as the settings. Controls can be switched off or worked around, but a child who knows they will not be punished for speaking up, or a parent who has agreed to call before sending money, is protected in situations no setting can predict.

Frequently asked questions

Is anything I tick saved?
No. The checkup runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is stored or sent, and your answers clear when you leave the page. To keep a record, take a screenshot or print the page.

We do not have children at home. Does this still apply?
Yes. Skip the kids and teens section. The account, money and older relative steps apply to almost every household.

How often should we do the checkup?
Once a year is a good rhythm, and again whenever someone gets a new phone, opens a new bank account, or moves in or out.

More tools: Is this a scam? self-check, Spot the Fake quiz, and printable guides.

Sources

Federal Trade Commission: How To Avoid a Scam, accessed October 25, 2026.
CISA: Secure Our World, accessed October 25, 2026.

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This checkup is general information, not legal, financial or security advice for your situation. See our Disclaimer and Editorial Policy.