5 Ways To Stay Safe Online in 2026

Nowadays, protecting yourself and your information online might seem like a tedious task. But cybersecurity is one of the most important day-to-day considerations when it comes to safeguarding your accounts and identity. Scammers and hackers have been on the rise, with up to 73% of U.S. adults experiencing some form of online scam or attack in 2025—but not all hope is lost. There are plenty of defense moves you can do to avoid and prevent cybersecurity threats. We’ll go over five ways to protect yourself against online threats.

1. Make sure your devices are updated

Keeping your software up to date is the easiest way to ensure your device security protections are operating at full capacity. Security patches form the most crucial part of a software update and should be installed as soon as possible. Security patches are often deployed to fix security flaws and protect your devices from malware and ransomware, so you don’t want to wait until your device is compromised to install an update.

2. Use strong passwords and a password manager

A strong password is long and complex enough to stop hackers from guessing it and accessing your accounts. A strong password should be at least 16 characters long and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and special characters. You’ll want to make sure you aren’t reusing old passwords either.

Making sure your passwords are long and strong enough to prevent your account from being hacked is hard enough, but keeping track of all your unique passwords is even harder. You’re also more likely to use a variety of strong passwords when you aren’t trying to keep track of them on your own. A password manager can help you keep track of and monitor your passwords, as well as flag any compromised passwords—so you don’t have to scramble to change your password as someone is trying to hack into your account.

There are plenty of password managers to choose from, so you can focus on selecting the one that best fits your needs. Check out our best password managers guide, where we break down the best password managers on the market.

3. Enable multi-factor or two-factor authentication

Even strong passwords can be hacked, but this is where multi-factor and two-factor authenticators can come in handy to block unauthorized access to your accounts. There are plenty of free multi-factor and two-factor authenticator apps like Google Authenticator or 2FAS—but some services, like 1Password, may require a paid subscription.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires the use of multiple identity verification methods in order to grant access to accounts. Multi-factor authentication requires two or more identity verification methods to grant account access and usually combines various forms of verification, like security questions, SMS codes, or facial recognition, with your password.  Two-factor and multi-factor authentication provide an additional layer of security to your account, so you can be alerted anytime someone is trying to access your accounts and stop it before your account is hacked.

Two-factor authentication is a solid option for personal and social media accounts, but multi-factor authentication adds even more layers of protection and is ideal for ultra-sensitive information, businesses, or government systems.

4. Use a VPN when using public Wi-Fi

If you frequently use public Wi-Fi, investing in a VPN is a great way to protect your information from cybercriminals. VPNs create a secure and encrypted connection between your device and the internet, preventing hackers from reading or accessing your data. Whether you’re using public Wi-Fi at a cafe, library, or the airport, a VPN can help protect against cyber attacks so you can enjoy free Wi-Fi worry-free.

Check out our guide to the best VPNs for an in-depth breakdown of what to look for in a VPN. If you’re on a tight budget, you can even opt for a free VPN and enjoy an added layer of security at no extra cost.

5. Brush up on your phishing detection skills

You can never be too careful about what you click on online. Always be on the lookout for phishing scams and avoid clicking on suspicious links, emails, or text messages. Scammers and hackers are more active than ever, so it’s important to know what to look out for. Here are a few quick tips on how to detect phishing scams.

• Verify the sender.
• Verify link addresses and domains.
• Ignore password resets you didn’t request.
• Never share temporary credentials like one-time passwords.
• Verify websites before making purchases.
• Never give anyone remote access to your devices.
• Look for spelling errors, email addresses that don’t make sense, or false information.
• Be wary of messages requesting urgent action.
• Look out for suspicious deals, promos, or anything that sounds too good to be true.

If you want to put your phishing skills to the test, Google has a helpful phishing quiz that walks you through possible phishing scenarios on Google Docs, email, Dropbox, and even text messages. Phishing scams evolve quickly, so do your best to stay up to date with the latest scams in the news, and always proceed with caution when it comes to clicking and opening links and emails.

Protecting your information online is a worthwhile investment

Password managers and VPNs may cost a few dollars a month, but are a great long-term investment to ensure your information has additional security protections against hackers. You can even find free options if your password manager and VPN needs are pretty basic. Setting up two-factor or multi-factor authentication is also a great way to block unauthorized login attempts to your accounts.

Always be on the lookout for phishing scams and be extra cautious when navigating unknown websites or emails. You can never have too many layers of security to protect your information.

FAQ about online safety