Guides
12 articles on Cybersecurity Crash Course.
GuidesThe 3-2-1 Backup Rule, Simply
The 3-2-1 backup rule in plain English, a backup plan table for photos, documents, and your whole machine (what, where, how often, cost as of September 2026), the built-in tools on Mac and Windows, and a one-afternoon setup with a restore test.
GuidesBest VPN Services for Beginners
Best VPN services for beginners in 2026: what a VPN protects and what it does not, who can skip one, September 2026 prices for Proton VPN, Mullvad, NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN in one table, and a 10-minute setup.
GuidesHome Wi-Fi Router Security Checklist: 10 Settings to Fix Tonight
A 10-item home router security checklist: admin password, WPA3, firmware updates, guest network, WPS off, smart-home isolation, plus a 20-minute setup pass.
GuidesHow to Freeze Your Credit at All Three Bureaus
Freeze your credit free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion in 15 minutes: steps, phone numbers, how to thaw for a loan, and freeze vs lock vs fraud alert.
GuidesHow to Spot Phishing in 2026
How to spot phishing in 2026 now that AI writes most of it: the red flags that still work in a table, three real-looking examples taken apart line by line, QR-code and text-message variants, what to do if you clicked, and the FBI and FTC 2025 numbers.
GuidesIdentity Theft Recovery Plan: 10 Steps for the First 72 Hours
Identity theft recovery plan for the first 72 hours and the 90 days after: a step table by day, fraud alert then credit freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, the FTC IdentityTheft.gov report and the rights it unlocks, the IRS IP PIN, and what to dispute in writing.
GuidesPasskeys Explained
Passkeys explained in plain English: how they beat phishing, which sites support them as of 2026, step-by-step setup on iPhone, Android, and Windows, a comparison table against passwords and 2FA, and the lockout trap to avoid.
GuidesPassword Manager Setup Guide
Set up a password manager in one evening: 2026 pricing for Bitwarden, 1Password, Proton Pass, Apple Passwords, and Google Password Manager, a migration plan hour by hour, the top-20 accounts to fix first, and the NIST rules for the one password you still memorize.
GuidesPublic Wi-Fi Safety: What Actually Protects You
Public Wi-Fi safety in 2026 without the fear: what HTTPS already protects, the risks that remain in one table, phone hotspot versus VPN compared, and a settings checklist for iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac before your next trip.
GuidesRansomware Explained
How ransomware gets in (the 2026 numbers), what the countdown screen is really asking, why paying rarely works, a 90-minute defense plan for a home or small office, and the first-hour response if you are hit.
GuidesTwo-Factor Authentication: Which Method Is Safest?
SMS, authenticator apps, passkeys and hardware keys ranked by how well they stop account takeover in 2026, plus exact setup steps for your email and bank.
GuidesWhat to Do After a Data Breach
What to do after a data breach: eight timed steps in priority order, a table of what to do for each kind of leaked data (password, SSN, card, medical, address), the 2025 breach numbers from the ITRC, and credit freeze versus lock versus fraud alert compared.