Household cyber security

Protect your household online.

Email, public services, shopping and photos: your accounts and devices are part of household life. Start with important accounts, maintain your devices and know where to get help. This guide draws on official resources from France and Canada.

Step 01

Strengthen your important accounts.

Pay particular attention to your email account: it is often used to reset access to your other accounts.

Use a different password for each account: Use long, unique passwords stored in a password manager. Protect the manager with a strong master password and multi-factor authentication where available. Start with your email, banking and government service accounts.
Add another layer of protection: Enable multi-factor authentication where available. If a service offers a passkey, consider this phishing-resistant sign-in method. Follow the service’s instructions and prepare its account recovery process.
Keep a recovery option available: Check your recovery email address and phone number. Keep backup codes somewhere protected that you can access even if you lose your phone. Do not send them in a message or share them with an unexpected caller or sender.

Step 02

Maintain your devices and backups.

Up-to-date devices and a copy of important files help limit the consequences of a breakdown, loss or infection.

Install updates: Enable automatic updates for operating systems, browsers and apps. Check your router and connected devices too. Replace equipment that no longer receives security fixes or stop using it for sensitive activities.
Back up beyond the device: Regularly copy important documents and photos to separate storage. Disconnect a backup drive after use and protect access to online backups. Check that you can recover a file; another copy on the same device is not enough.
Limit installations and access: Download apps from their official store or the developer’s official website. Keep security protections active and lock your device screens. Refuse software installation or remote access requested by someone who contacts you unexpectedly claiming to provide technical support.

Step 03

Recognize fraudulent messages and requests.

Scams can arrive by email, text, social media or phone. A familiar name, a recognizable voice or flawless writing does not prove who sent a message.

Notice the pressure: Be cautious about urgent payments, supposedly blocked accounts, unexpected refunds or requests for secrecy. Do not open a link or attachment to fix a situation you have not verified.
Check through another channel: Reach the organization through your usual app or type its known website address. If a relative asks for money, call the number already saved in your contacts. Do not rely on caller ID or contact details supplied in the suspicious message.
Do not authorize under pressure: Do not share a sign-in code or approve a banking transaction requested during an unexpected call. Do not move money to a supposedly safe account. End the conversation and contact your bank directly if it is involved.

Step 04

Respond to a compromised account or device.

Use another device you believe is safe. If you have shared banking information or sent money, contact your bank promptly using its usual contact details.

Disconnect a suspicious device: If you suspect an infection, turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data, then unplug any network cable. Stop entering passwords on it. Get trusted help to examine and clean the device before reconnecting it or restoring your data.
Recover access from a safe device: Use the service’s official website to recover the account and change its password. Change any other accounts where you reused it. Sign out unknown sessions, check recovery details and email forwarding rules, then enable multi-factor authentication. Warn your contacts if someone has used your identity to approach them.
Keep useful records: Keep messages, screenshots, addresses, dates and payment records to explain what happened. Do not pay someone who promises to recover lost money. Seek advice before a reset that could erase useful records.
Use the right assistance services: In France, 17Cyber helps identify the problem and appropriate next steps; assistance does not replace filing a police complaint. In Canada, follow Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre guidance, report fraud through its national system and contact your local police, particularly if you lost money. A national report does not replace contacting the police.

Put it into practice

My action checklist.

My email has a unique password and multi-factor protection where available.
My recovery details and backup codes are checked and protected.
Automatic updates are enabled on devices that support them.
I have a separate backup of important files and have checked that I can restore a file.
My household knows to verify urgent requests using contact details we already know.
I can find my bank and official assistance services without following a suspicious message.

Learn more and find support

Sources to guide you.

Sources consulted on November 13, 2026. Check which guidance and services apply to your country and circumstances.

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