A Simple Monthly Account Safety Checkup

Summary: Just like a home needs regular upkeep, your online accounts benefit from a short monthly review. This guide walks you through a simple, calm checkup you can do in about 30 minutes.

A Simple Monthly Account Safety Checkup

You do not need to be a technology expert to keep your online accounts safe. You just need a short, regular habit, the same way you might check that the doors are locked before bed or flip through your mail at the end of the week.

This monthly checkup takes about 30 minutes. You can do it all at once or spread it across a few days. The goal is simply to make sure your accounts look the way they should, and to catch anything unusual before it becomes a bigger problem.

What You Will Check

1. Your passwords
2. Your recovery email and phone number
3. Payment methods on file
4. Recent sign-in activity
5. Any alerts or notifications from your accounts

You do not need to do all of this on the first try. Start with one section and build from there.

Step 1: Review Your Passwords

Passwords do not need to be changed every month, but your monthly checkup is a good time to ask yourself a few questions:

• Are you using the same password for more than one important account?
• Has it been more than a year since you last changed your bank or email password?
• Do you have your passwords written somewhere safe and private, not in an obvious location?

If your answer is yes to the first question or no to the second, consider updating those passwords. A strong password is at least 12 characters long and uses a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. It does not need to be impossible to remember. A short phrase that only you would know, like "Sunshine&Roses2019," works well.

Step 2: Check Your Recovery Email and Phone Number

Your recovery email and phone number are what companies use to verify it is really you if you ever get locked out. It is important that this information is current.

1. Log into your email account (such as Gmail or Yahoo).
2. Go to your account settings or security settings.
3. Look for a section called "Recovery options" or "Security."
4. Confirm that the recovery phone number and backup email shown are ones you still use and can access.

If you see a phone number or email address you do not recognize, that may mean someone else has added their contact information to your account. Contact the company immediately if that happens.

Step 3: Review Payment Methods

For accounts like Amazon, streaming services, or shopping sites, check which cards are on file.

1. Go to your account settings.
2. Look for "Payment methods" or "Wallet."
3. Make sure only cards you recognize and still use are listed there.
4. Remove any cards that are expired or that you no longer use.

Step 4: Check Recent Sign-In Activity

Many accounts let you see where and when someone has recently logged in. This is one of the most helpful safety checks you can do.

1. Go to your email or Google account settings.
2. Look for "Security," "Recent activity," or "Sign-in history."
3. Review the list. Does each login look familiar based on your location and device?
4. If you see a login from a location you have never been to or a device you do not own, contact the company right away and change your password.

Step 5: Check Alerts and Notifications

Take a moment to scroll through any security emails or alerts you have received from your accounts over the past month. Look for messages about password changes, new device logins, or failed login attempts. If you see anything you did not initiate, treat it as a sign to investigate further.

What Not to Do

• Do not skip this step because nothing has gone wrong yet. These checks are about staying ahead of problems.
• Do not use the same password for your bank, email, and shopping accounts.
• Do not ignore alerts from your accounts, even if they seem minor.