The Digital Safety Checkup for Women

0 of 15 looked at

Chapter one

What’s exposed

Exposure is ordinary. Search results, old posts, and public profiles are how the internet remembers us. The work is to look, not to panic.

Your name in public searchA search of your legal name, married names, and usernames shows what a stranger can already see.Open a private browser window. Search your name in quotes, then your name plus the city you live in. Note addresses, phone numbers, workplaces, and family names that appear without you having posted them.I have looked at this
Public profiles and archivesBios, tagged photos, and old accounts often stay open after we have moved on.Open each social profile in a logged-out window. Read the bio, the about section, and the oldest posts still public. Decide what still belongs in public and what can be limited to friends, or removed.I have looked at this
Location on posts and photosA location tag tells a timeline, not just a place. It can show patterns of home, school, and work.Check recent photos and stories for map pins, geotags, and background landmarks. Turn off automatic location for the camera roll going forward.I have looked at this
Phone, email, and directoriesPeople-search sites and old résumés republish contact details we did not hand them.Search your phone number and email as well as your name. Use each directory’s opt-out when you find a listing you did not create. This is slow, ordinary paperwork.I have looked at this
Family details in captions and tagsChildren’s names, schools, and routines in captions become a map of someone else’s life.Scroll captions and tags on your accounts and on family accounts that include you. Remove school names, bus times, and home context from public view.I have looked at this

Chapter two

What’s connected

Accounts do not live alone. Phones, tablets, shared plans, and apps hold doors open. Seeing the map is the point of this chapter.

Devices signed into your accountsA forgotten tablet or an old phone can still receive mail, photos, and resets.Open the security or devices page for Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta. Sign out anything you do not recognize or no longer use.I have looked at this
Apps with camera, microphone, or locationPermissions granted once tend to stay granted. Most of them are unused.On iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security. On Android: Settings → Privacy. Review camera, microphone, and location. Keep access only where you still need it.I have looked at this
Shared plans and recovery contactsFamily Sharing, Find My, and recovery emails can be a kindness or a door, depending on who holds them.Review who can see your location, who is a recovery contact, and who can reset a password. Change anything that no longer matches the household you have now.I have looked at this
Saved logins on shared computersBrowsers remember. Shared laptops remember longer than we do.On each shared computer, open the browser’s saved passwords and signed-in accounts. Remove yours. Sign out of mail and cloud drives when you leave the machine.I have looked at this
Cameras, doorbells, and shared Wi-FiHome devices are accounts with a view of the door.Open the app for each camera or doorbell. Check who has access, whether the video is stored in a shared cloud, and whether the Wi-Fi password is still the one on the router sticker.I have looked at this

Chapter three

What to secure

Security here is maintenance, not a test. Do the next small thing. Return when you have more time.

Unique passwords and a managerOne reused password turns a single leak into many open doors.Choose a password manager you will actually open. Give email, banking, and the account that holds your photos their own long passwords first.I have looked at this
Two-step verificationA second step means a stolen password is not enough.Turn on two-step verification for email, Apple or Google, and banking. Prefer an authenticator app over text message when the service offers it.I have looked at this
Recovery codes, stored privatelyBackup codes are the spare key. They belong where only you can reach them.When you turn on two-step verification, download or write the backup codes. Keep them off the phone that receives your everyday mail. A paper envelope in a place you control is enough.I have looked at this
Location and tagging defaultsThe setting you choose once is the one every new post inherits.Set new posts to friends, not public, unless you intend a public page. Turn off tagging that publishes without your review. Strip location from the camera.I have looked at this
A quiet review of connected appsOld quizzes, shopping checkouts, and “login with” buttons keep a copy of access.Open the connected-apps or third-party access page on Google, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. Remove anything you do not remember authorizing.I have looked at this

This is ordinary care

You can leave and return. The marks on this page stay on this device. They are a reminder of what you have already looked at — not a score, and not a record held by anyone else.

This checkup is educational. It is not therapy, counseling, diagnosis, or crisis intervention. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

All brands