Protecting your family means protecting your devices

The explosion of connected devices—like Google Home, Alexa, Nest, and Ring, as well as gaming consoles—makes it equally important to secure your home network.

You can easily reduce your risk by:

• using a virtual private network (VPN), which creates a safe, encrypted connection over the internet.
• installing antivirus software on your computers.
• using two-factor authentication, which requires both your log-in information and a unique code sent to your mobile device to complete the log-in process.
• using an all-in-one password manager or making sure all your passwords are strong.
• being alert to suspicious emails, pop-ups, and “too good to be true” ads or offers.

While certain websites and apps make our lives easier and more entertaining, they can also lead to overuse—especially in kids.

In fact, according to Common Sense Media, 78 percent of teens check their phones at least hourly, and 50 percent report feeling “addicted” to their phones.

To counteract this, you can use apps to help monitor how much time kids are online:

• Apple offers Screen Time, which tracks and reports the amount of hours spent on each app.
• Parental control apps that let parents restrict their children’s screen time and online activity on all of the family’s devices.