Cyber security basics for beginners
None of this needs technical knowledge. A handful of steps, done once, stop most of the attacks aimed at people at home.
Six steps
- A strong, separate password for your email. Use three random words, as the NCSC advises, and use it for nothing else.
- Turn on 2-step verification. Start with your email, then your bank and anything you buy with.
- Install updates. On your phone, computer and tablet, as soon as they are offered.
- Back up. Keep a copy of your photographs and documents somewhere other than the device itself.
- Use a password manager or the one built into your browser, so every account can have its own password.
- Be wary of unexpected messages. A text, email or call you were not expecting that asks you to click, pay or log in should be checked another way first.
Who scammers aim at
Criminals aim a great deal of their effort at older people, who are more likely to answer the phone, have savings and trust an official-sounding voice. They also target people selling things online, including classic cars, with fake buyers, fake payments and fake couriers. I have written up how I check a classic car advert.
How to report it
- Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
- Forward scam texts, free, to 7726.
- If you have lost money or been hacked, report it to Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025, at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.
- In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
Questions people ask
Why does my email password matter most?
Your email is where password resets arrive. Anyone who gets into it can reset the passwords for most of your other accounts, so give it a strong password used nowhere else.
What are three random words?
A password made of three words with no link between them. The NCSC advises it because it is long, hard to guess and easy to remember.
Is the password manager in my browser good enough?
For most people at home, yes. Using one, built in or separate, is far better than reusing the same password everywhere.
More on this site: Staying safe and how I check a classic car advert.
Sources: www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing, www.ncsc.gov.uk, www.reportfraud.police.uk, www.stopscamsuk.org.uk/159.
Checked 19 October 2026.
If you have been scammed, call your bank on 159 and report it at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.
This is general advice from one person's experience, not a service; your bank and the police come first.