- The websites we shop, game,
and connect on are awesome for escape,
but between massive data breaches, insidious scams,
and information overload,
the internet can feel like a dangerous place.
But you don't need to be a world-class white knight hacker
to navigate these digital waters safely.
We've assembled a few of our favorite secret weapons
from our own cybersecurity toolkit
to protect your identity, information,
passwords, and family.
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First up is IDShield,
our favorite for identity theft protection.
With billions of dollars stolen every year,
fraudsters are coming up with newer and more clever ways
to take your money and your information.
IDShield has individual and family plans starting
around $15 or $30 a month.
Think of it as identity theft insurance.
Along with protecting your identity,
IDShield will work with you to restore it
if it's ever stolen.
It also offers financial protection,
cybersecurity, and device protection.
IDShield also works with the top three credit bureaus
to keep track of any sudden drops to your credit score.
On the internet superhighway,
your IP address is kinda like a license plate for users.
It tells others about your device, what you're using,
what network you're connected to, and even your location.
Scammers can use that IP address
to grab all kinds of information about your current
and past online activity to use against you.
Enter NordVPN.
VPNs, or virtual private networks,
are kind of like an encrypted privacy shield
that hides your IP address and other data.
They protect you from those online snoops and sneaks
while allowing you to roam freely around the internet.
NordVPN makes data sharing safer,
lowers online censorship and restrictions,
and reduces your chances of getting hit by cyber criminals.
If you're a remote worker like me,
you may go to coffee shops
or work from public places on a regular basis.
This is where VPNs are really helpful.
But we also recommend using VPN service
while you're traveling, browsing,
gaming, shopping, or streaming at home.
NordVPN has over 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide,
so your connection will stay strong
when you're out and about.
And its flexible plans allow you to use it
under a two-year, one-year, or monthly plan.
Look, we all know the rules to passwords.
Make them complex. Change them often.
Don't share them with strangers.
But with all of those log-ins to remember,
those nonsensical strings of characters just run together.
Password managers like Dashlane offer free password storage
with basic features
or premium features for under $3 a month.
I tried the free version myself to take a closer look.
I was able to store, organize,
and sync my passwords across devices.
And there's even a password generator
that comes up with an airtight password for you.
With the free version, I did miss out on extras,
like alerts for password breaches, Dashlane's VPN,
and encryptions for things like payments, notes, and IDs.
But all of those features are available
for a really fair price.
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Long gone are the days of the family PC.
I wasted so much of my high school years
hunched over a MySpace page
and talking with friends across the country
via the latest Instant Messenger.
Today, things have gotten more complicated.
With that family PC now in everyone's pocket,
it can be hard for parents to know
what their kids are up to online.
Qustodio is a parental control app designed
to set up guardrails around the internet
and offer responsible monitoring for families and schools.
The app works on Windows, MacBook,
iOS, Android, and even Kindle.
Parents can filter content their kids see,
the apps they use, set time limits,
see who kids are messaging and calling,
and locate mobile devices.
Qustodio also offers reports, alerts,
and SOS messages in real-time when kids venture
into corners of the internet deemed inappropriate.
Now, I'm not a parent, so I can't tell you what's okay
and what's not okay for your kids.
But an app like this can help you watch
how teens, for example, use apps like Instagram,
TikTok, or Snapchat.
It can help you guard them
from any would-be predators sliding into their inboxes
and give you a better idea of how your kids use the devices
that you've given them.
Qustodio starts at $55 a year for five devices,
or bigger families can choose the 10-device plan
for $100 a year.
Like most of our programs in our toolkit,
Qustodio has a free version available for a single device,
and it comes with a free trial with those premium features.
Bark has a range of kids' internet safety programs,
like parental control apps for teens and littles.
Like Qustodio, Bark can filter content, send warnings to you
when your kids view inappropriate stuff,
and limit screen time.
But unlike Qustodio,
Bark has a smartphone designed just for kids.
Today, adults and kids conduct most
of their online activity through their smartphones.
The Bark phone is basically a retooled Android smartphone
that can do everything that Mom and Dad's phone can do,
except it uses Bark to send info back to the parents
and help kids form healthy online habits.
It can monitor over 30 apps on a phone, block websites,
and share your kiddo's location.
The Bark phone is $49 a month, no contract necessary.
All of these features and permissions are adjustable,
so it gives parents the power to decide
when their kids are ready to use grown-up apps
like Instagram and TikTok.
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Let's face it, the internet can be a dangerous place.
Scammers, malware, predators all go after kids
and adults alike.
But there's no need to go in unprotected.
With so much business, schoolwork, shopping, gaming,
and other fun stuff based online,
it's smart to have a few tools ready
to keep you and your information safe.
There are more resources in the description below
if you wanna check those out.
And drop any of your favorite internet security tools
in the comments below.
We'd love to cover them in a future video.
Thanks for watching, and stay safe.
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