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Secure Your Accounts

8 minute read

Protect yourself in 30 minutes. No technical knowledge required.

Time needed: About 30 minutes
What you'll need: Your phone and access to your email

Step 1: Secure Your Email (10 minutes)

Why this matters: Your email is the master key to everything else. If someone gets into your email, they can reset passwords on all your other accounts.

Change your email password

  1. Go to your email provider’s security settings:
  2. Create a new password that is:
    • At least 12 characters long
    • Not used on any other website
    • Not based on personal info (birthdays, pet names, etc.)

Easy method: Think of a sentence and use it as a password.

  • “My daughter Sarah graduated in 2020!” → Great password
  • “IlovemydogMax” → Okay but predictable

Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)

Two-factor means even if someone gets your password, they still can’t log in without your phone.

How to enable:

  • Gmail: Security → 2-Step Verification → Get started
  • Outlook: Security → Advanced security options → Two-step verification
  • Yahoo: Account security → Two-step verification
  • Apple: Settings → [Your name] → Password & Security → Two-Factor Authentication

Choose “text message” or “authenticator app” when prompted. Text message is fine.

Check recent activity

Look for logins you don’t recognize:

  • Gmail: Security → Your devices
  • Outlook: Security → View my sign-in activity
  • Yahoo: Recent activity

If you see unfamiliar locations or devices, change your password immediately.

Step 2: Check If Your Info Has Been Leaked (5 minutes)

Use Have I Been Pwned

  1. Go to haveibeenpwned.com
  2. Enter your email address
  3. It shows if your info appeared in known data breaches

If you show up in breaches:

  • Change passwords on those specific sites
  • If you used the same password elsewhere, change those too
  • Don’t panic—most people show up. Just take action.

Step 3: Secure Your Important Accounts (10 minutes)

Focus on accounts that have:

  • Your money: Bank, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App
  • Your identity: Government sites, health insurance, tax software
  • Your stuff: Amazon, Apple/Google account, streaming services

For each important account:

  1. Change to a unique password (different from all others)
  2. Turn on 2FA if the option exists (usually in Settings → Security)

Can’t remember all these passwords?

Use a password manager—it remembers them for you:

  • Bitwarden — Free, works everywhere
  • Apple Keychain — Built into iPhones/Macs
  • Google Password Manager — Built into Chrome/Android

You just remember one master password, and it handles the rest.

Step 4: Quick Phone Security (5 minutes)

Set a strong screen lock

  • Use 6-digit PIN minimum (not 1234 or your birthday)
  • Or use face/fingerprint if available

Update your phone

  • iPhone: Settings → General → Software Update
  • Android: Settings → System → Software Update

Install any waiting updates. They often fix security holes.

Review app permissions

Check what apps have access to your location, camera, and contacts:

  • iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security
  • Android: Settings → Privacy → Permission manager

Remove access from apps that don’t need it.

You Did It!

Your accounts are now much more secure than the average person’s.

Keep it going:

  • Use unique passwords for every site
  • Be suspicious of “verify your account” emails
  • Keep your phone and apps updated
  • Consider a password manager if you haven’t already

Want to go further?