Protecting Yourself Online in 2025: A Security Guide

The internet landscape has shifted dramatically. What was once a realm where caution offered significant protection is now a minefield of potential threats. In 2025, assuming online attacks are commonplace is no longer paranoid; it’s prudent. The escalating use of artificial intelligence is fueling an unprecedented rise in the speed and sophistication of these attacks, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.

While we’ve previously outlined basic security tweaks, understanding the core software and tools you need for comprehensive protection is crucial. Here’s a rundown of essential security measures to implement.

Antivirus Software: Your First Line of Defense

Despite your best efforts to browse safely, the risk of encountering phishing sites, malware, ransomware, and other dangers is higher than ever. Therefore, robust antivirus software is no longer optional but a necessity.

At a fundamental level, ensure that Microsoft’s built-in Windows Security antivirus suite is enabled and actively running. In recent years, Microsoft’s antivirus protection has become reliable and operates discreetly in the background.

For enhanced protection, consider investing in paid antivirus software like Norton 360 Deluxe. These suites often consolidate various security features, such as dark web monitoring, VPN services, and password managers, into a single, user-friendly interface. This simplifies managing your overall security posture.

Password Managers: Beyond Simple Passwords

Whether integrated into an antivirus suite or used as a standalone service, a password manager is indispensable for maintaining strong, unique logins across all your online accounts. More importantly, password managers help minimize the amount of personal data stored across the web.

Instead of allowing individual shopping websites to store your credit card information or physical address, store those details securely within your password manager. This drastically reduces your vulnerability to fraud in the event of unauthorized account access or data breaches. Even if a hacker gains access to your account, they won’t be able to use your credit card to make purchases or leverage leaked data for personalized scams.

The simplest option is using the password managers offered by Google or Apple. Google’s password manager has a broader reach across platforms. These are a great starting point and can help you avoid the temptation of using weak or reused passwords.

Upgrading to a dedicated password manager like Bitwarden or Dashlane unlocks more advanced features, including unrestricted password sharing, shared vaults for families, emergency access options, and monitoring for compromised passwords. Bitwarden and Dashlane are both top-rated password managers, offering both free and premium options to suit various needs and budgets.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adding an Extra Layer

These days, a single password is not enough to protect your accounts. Two-factor authentication (2FA), also known as multi-factor authentication (MFA), adds an additional security checkpoint before granting access to your account. This means that even if a hacker obtains your password, they still won’t have all the information needed to log in successfully.

If possible, utilize app-generated one-time codes for 2FA. These are more secure than codes sent via SMS text messages, which are vulnerable to interception. Authy is a popular choice, offering cross-platform compatibility, device access controls, and PIN or biometric authentication for app access.

Google Authenticator is another option, but it lacks some of the advanced features of Authy and requires a Google account for cloud backups. For heightened security, consider Aegis or Raivo, which store your codes locally on your device, but remember to back them up in case of device loss.

Although password managers can store 2FA tokens, it’s advisable to keep them in a separate app. This ensures that even if your password vault is compromised, the attacker won’t gain complete access to all your accounts.

Passkeys: The Future of Authentication

Your smartphone or computer can function as a potent security tool. Passkeys offer a passwordless and 2FA-less login experience.

Passkeys are fast, user-friendly, and potentially simpler than passwords. They are saved to your device, eliminating the need to memorize them. Because they are tied to the specific device on which they are stored, passkeys cannot be stolen and reused by hackers like traditional passwords. Using biometric authentication or a PIN, you can authorize a passkey.

Both mobile devices and computers support passkeys. They can be saved to your phone, PC, or both, and are uniquely generated per device. You can create as many passkeys as a website allows.

While passkey support is growing, it is not yet universal. Major platforms like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Best Buy, and Target have integrated passkeys, but many other sites are still catching up. For those sites, the traditional combination of a strong password and 2FA remains necessary.

Unique Usernames: Preventing Credential Stuffing

Using unique and strong passwords for your accounts is essential, but random, unique usernames are now equally important.

Data breaches are rampant, making credential stuffing a low-effort tactic for attackers. They simply enter your usual username or email address, along with a stolen password, into login forms to see what works.

A good password manager can generate unique usernames for you. For websites that use email addresses as your username, an email masking service creates disposable email addresses that forward to your main account. These email masks are different from email aliases offered by Gmail and ProtonMail. Email aliases simply add additional text after your username (e.g., [email protected]). Email aliases are useful for filtering incoming messages, but they do not provide true privacy because the real email address is easy to deduce.

Free email masking services are available. DuckDuckGo lets you create as many as you like, and Firefox Relay offers five free masks. Paid options include Apple iCloud+’s Hide My Email feature and SimpleLogin, which offers a wider range of features, including integration with password managers like Bitwarden and ProtonPass. Some email providers, like Fastmail, also offer masked email as an integrated feature.

If you’re on a budget, consider using email masks for your most sensitive accounts, such as those for financial or medical services.

Google Voice: Protecting Your Real Phone Number

Some websites only support SMS codes for two-factor authentication, which are less secure than software-based codes. Banks are notorious for this. Hackers are aware of this vulnerability and sometimes resort to SIM jacking to steal these codes.

To mitigate this risk, consider reserving your real phone number for valuable or sensitive services like financial and medical institutions. For everything else, use a Google Voice number, a free service available to anyone with a personal Google account.

Google Voice provides a US-based phone number that you can use for calls and texts through Google’s desktop website or mobile apps. You can also forward calls to your real number, and no one will know it’s not the number issued by your cell phone carrier.

Unfortunately, many banks will not send 2FA one-time codes to a VOIP number, so Google Voice numbers don’t qualify for this purpose. Google Voice numbers cannot be SIM jacked.

By implementing these security measures, you can significantly improve your online safety and protect yourself from the ever-evolving threats of the digital world.