Internet Safety Tips for Adults: 7 Ways to Stay Safe Online

These everyday habits can make it safer to use social media, bank online, communicate with family and manage other accounts while helping protect your privacy and personal information.  

Key takeaways

• Use long, unique passwords for important accounts, and consider a password manager to keep track of them.¹

• Turn on multifactor authentication when it’s available, especially for email and financial accounts.¹

• Don’t click unexpected links or attachments. If a message might be legitimate, contact the person or company another way.³

• Keep phones, computers, browsers and apps updated, and review the privacy settings on the accounts you use.²

• Use trusted websites, apps and internet connections when banking or sharing sensitive information online.

1. Limit what you share on social media

To stay safer on social media, limit the personal information you share publicly and regularly review who can see your posts and profile information.²

Each social media website has a privacy page where you can learn about your account settings:

• YouTube

• Facebook

• Pinterest

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• X

A few small changes can limit how much personal information is available to people you don’t know:

Think about what a photo or video reveals before posting it. Vacation photos, street signs or other details can give away your location or routine.

Turn off location sharing when you don’t need it, and review which apps have permission to access your location.

Check the permissions for apps connected to your social media accounts and remove access you no longer use.

Look back at older posts from time to time for information you may no longer want to keep public.

Avoid publicly sharing details such as your home address, full birthdate or other information that could be used to identify you or answer account security questions.

You don’t have to stop sharing online. Take a moment to consider who can see a post and what it reveals before you publish it.

2. Use long, unique passwords and multifactor authentication

Use a long, unique password for each important account and turn on multifactor authentication when it’s available.¹

• Use a different password for each important account.

• Choose a long password or passphrase that would be difficult for someone else to guess.

• Consider using a password manager to generate and store unique passwords.

• Change a password if you learn that it has been exposed or compromised rather than changing it simply because a certain number of days has passed.¹

A password manager can make unique passwords easier to manage because you don’t have to memorize a different login for every account.¹

Multifactor authentication, or MFA, asks for another form of verification in addition to your password. That might be an authentication app, security code, fingerprint or facial recognition. If an account offers MFA, turning it on can make the account harder to access with a stolen password alone.¹

3. Pause before clicking unexpected links or attachments

Unexpected links and attachments can lead to fake websites or harmful software. If a message seems unusual, don’t use the link or phone number it provides. Go to the company’s website or app yourself, or contact the sender another way to check whether the message is real.³

Phishing is when someone sends a message that looks like it came from a person or organization you trust but is really trying to get you to click a link, open an attachment or share personal or financial information. Learn more about how to identify suspicious emails and text messages.³

How to explain phishing emails to an older person

One simple way to explain phishing is that the message is pretending to be from someone you trust so you’ll act before checking whether it’s real. Unexpected requests, unusual urgency, requests for passwords or payment, and links you weren’t expecting are all reasons to slow down and verify the message another way.

What should you do if you clicked a suspicious link?

What you do next depends on what happened after you clicked:

• If you entered a password, change it from a device you trust. Change it anywhere else you reused the same password.

• If you entered banking or credit card information, contact the financial institution or card issuer.

• If you downloaded an unexpected file or think harmful software was installed, update your device’s security software and run a scan.⁵

• Turn on multifactor authentication for affected accounts if you haven’t already.¹

If you received a phishing email, you can also forward it to reportphishing@apwg.org and report the attempt at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.³

4. Verify unexpected requests using a source you trust

A message can look familiar and still be misleading. If an unexpected email, text or call asks you to send money, share personal information, log in to an account or fix an urgent problem, check the request another way before responding.³

• Open the company’s official app or type its website address yourself instead of using a link in the message.

• Call a phone number you already know or find on an official statement, card or website.

• If the message appears to come from a friend or relative, contact that person separately.

• Don’t rely on caller ID, the sender name or contact information included in an unexpected message as proof that it’s legitimate.

Specific scams can take many forms, including romance, government impersonation and family-emergency scams.

5. Use your bank’s official website or app

Online banking can be convenient, but financial accounts deserve a little extra care. Use the bank website or app you normally use, and be cautious when an unexpected message asks you to sign in or provide account information. For more guidance, see these tips for safe online banking.

Open your bank’s official app or type the website address yourself instead of signing in through an unexpected email or text.

If a message says there’s a problem with your account, verify it independently before entering a username, password or account number.

Don’t send passwords or other login information in response to an unsolicited message.

When possible, use a trusted internet connection rather than public Wi-Fi for banking or other activity involving sensitive financial information.

Add another layer of account security

Turn on multifactor authentication and account alerts if your bank offers them. If you learn that your banking password has been exposed, change it promptly and contact your bank if you see activity you don’t recognize.

6. Safeguard your personal and financial information

Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal or financial information without permission. You can’t eliminate every risk, but you can limit how much information you expose and watch for signs that something isn’t right.⁴

• Keep your phone, tablet, computer, browser and apps up to date. Turning on automatic updates can make this easier.²

• Be cautious with unexpected requests for passwords, account numbers, your Social Security number or other sensitive information.

• Review your bank and credit card statements for transactions you don’t recognize.

• Treat unexpected requests for tax or government information cautiously and verify the request through the agency’s official website or contact information.

7. Keep your devices updated, locked and signed out

Use a passcode, fingerprint or facial recognition to lock your phone or tablet, and keep device software up to date.² If you use a public or shared computer, sign out of every account when you’re finished and don’t let the browser save your passwords.

For banking or other activity involving sensitive information, your own device and a trusted internet connection are better choices when they’re available.

Putting internet safety into practice

A few simple habits can make everyday online activity feel more manageable. Whether you’re checking email, using social media or signing in to an account, taking an extra moment to check where you are, who you’re communicating with and what information you’re sharing can help you make safer choices online.

Frequently asked questions about online safety for seniors

Can a website with HTTPS still be fake?

Yes. HTTPS means the connection between your browser and the website is encrypted, but it doesn’t tell you who created the site or whether the request you received is legitimate. If you arrived through an unexpected email or text, leave the page and navigate to the organization’s website yourself before entering personal or financial information.

What should I do if I think one of my online accounts was compromised?

If you think someone accessed an account without permission, change the password from a device you trust and use a new password you haven’t used elsewhere. If you reused the old password on other accounts, change those passwords too. Review recent account activity and security settings, sign out of other active sessions if the option is available, and turn on multifactor authentication. For a bank or credit card account, contact the financial institution if you notice activity you don’t recognize.

Are password managers safe for seniors to use?

Password managers can be a practical way to create and store long, unique passwords without having to remember each one. Choose a reputable password manager, use a strong master password and turn on multifactor authentication if it’s available.¹ Some phones, browsers and operating systems also include built-in password managers that can be easier to use across devices.

Can a suspicious email or text look like it came from someone I know?

Yes. A sender name or address can be misleading, and someone else’s account can also be compromised. If a message from someone you know makes an unusual request or includes a link you weren’t expecting, contact that person another way before responding.³

Should I install software updates as soon as they’re available?

Generally, yes. Software updates often include security fixes for phones, computers, browsers and apps. Turning on automatic updates can make it easier to keep the devices you use regularly up to date.²

What should I do if I get an unexpected password reset or login alert?

Don’t use a link in an unexpected alert to sign in. Open the account’s official app or website yourself and check for recent activity. If you see a login or password change you don’t recognize, change your password and review the account’s security settings.

Sources:

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology, “How Do I Create a Good Password?,” updated Aug. 20, 2025, accessed Aug. 2026. https://www.nist.gov/cybersecurity-and-privacy/how-do-i-create-good-password

2. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, “Online Safety Tips for Older Adults,” 2025, accessed Aug. 2026. https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/Secure-Our-World-Online-Safety-for-Older-Adults-Tip-Sheet.pdf

3. Federal Trade Commission, “Protect Yourself From Phishing Scams,” April 2025, accessed Aug. 2026. https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/04/protect-yourself-phishing-scams

4. Federal Trade Commission, “Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts,” updated Aug. 25, 2025, accessed Aug. 2026. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/credit-freezes-and-fraud-alerts

5. Federal Trade Commission, “Malware: How To Protect Against, Detect, and Remove It,” April 16, 2025, accessed Aug. 2026. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/malware-how-protect-against-detect-and-remove-it