The single highest-value thing you can do: turn on automatic updates
Most successful attacks do not use anything new. They use a flaw that was found, reported, and fixed months ago, on a device where the fix was never installed. Automatic updates are unglamorous and they are the closest thing to free protection that exists.
Do this once per device. You will not have to think about it again.
iPhone and iPad
- Settings, then General, then Software Update.
- Tap Automatic Updates.
- Turn on both Download iOS Updates and Install iOS Updates.
- Turn on Security Responses & System Files. These are the emergency fixes that ship between full updates.
Then Settings, then App Store, and turn on App Updates.
Android
- Settings, then System, then Software update. Exact wording varies by manufacturer.
- Enable automatic download and install.
- Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Network preferences, then Auto-update apps.
Also check Google Play system update in the security settings. It is separate from the main Android version and it is easy to miss.
Windows
- Settings, then Windows Update.
- Turn on Get the latest updates as soon as they're available.
- Set Active hours so restarts never interrupt you. People who postpone updates usually do it because of badly timed restarts, not because they disagree with updating.
Mac
- System Settings, then General, then Software Update.
- Click the i next to Automatic Updates and turn everything on, especially Install Security Responses and system files.
The things people forget
Your router. It is a computer, it faces the internet, and almost nobody updates it. Sign in to its admin page and look for automatic firmware updates. If your router is more than about six years old, or the manufacturer has stopped issuing updates for it, replacing it is one of the cheapest real security upgrades available.
Your browser. It updates itself when you close and reopen it. If you have not restarted your browser in three weeks, restart it.
Devices you forgot are computers. Smart TVs, doorbell cameras, printers. If one of them no longer receives updates and it does not need to be online, take it off your network.
Last checked 2026-09-23. Prices, dates, and bank policies change; verify anything time-sensitive against the linked source.