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You can put a useful cybersecurity baseline in place without buying a security suite: turn on multifactor authentication (MFA), use a different strong password for each account, install software updates, back up important files, and learn to spot phishing. These steps do not make every risk disappear, and they do not mean every tool or service is free. They give most people a practical starting point before considering optional purchases.
Start with the protections that matter most
Turn on multifactor authentication
MFA asks for a second proof of identity in addition to your password, such as an approval in an app or a security key. Enable it wherever it is offered, prioritizing email, banking, health care, and other accounts that could expose sensitive information or help someone reset other passwords. CISA advises turning on MFA for every account or app that offers it, and NIST recommends it where possible, especially for sensitive accounts: CISA’s MFA guidance and NIST’s MFA overview.
Choose the strongest method the service supports, while considering whether you can recover access if you lose a device. CISA’s small-business guidance ranks security keys as its strongest phishing-protection option among the methods it describes, followed by number-matching and authenticator-app codes; text or email codes are the weakest listed option. Biometrics are best paired with another factor. If a service offers only a less resistant MFA method, using it is generally better than leaving MFA off. See CISA’s MFA method guidance.
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- Check the account’s security or sign-in settings for MFA or two-step verification.
- Save recovery codes somewhere separate from the device or account they unlock.
- Before buying a physical security key, check that the service and your devices support it. It is an optional MFA method, not a prerequisite for using MFA.
Use unique passwords and make them manageable
A password reused across accounts can put several accounts at risk if one service is compromised. Use a long, unique password for each important account. A password manager can help generate and remember them; NIST recommends considering one, but its guidance does not require a paid subscription. For a small-business-oriented overview of basic practices, see NIST’s Cybersecurity Basics.
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Keep devices and applications updated
Install operating-system, browser, and application updates when they become available, and enable automatic updates where that setting is appropriate. Updates can include security fixes. NIST includes patching software among foundational practices in its cybersecurity basics.
Back up files you cannot afford to lose
Use backup features already available on your device or through a service you use, and check how much storage is included before relying on it. Keep a backup that would remain accessible if your device were lost, damaged, or locked by ransomware. NIST lists backups among basic cybersecurity practices; the guidance does not establish that every storage option or capacity is free.
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Replace default device passwords
Change factory-set or default passwords on routers and other devices that let you set a unique password. A default credential may be widely known. NIST includes changing default passwords in its baseline guidance.
Reduce the chance of falling for phishing
Phishing messages try to persuade you to reveal information, open a harmful attachment, or follow a deceptive link. Be cautious when a message unexpectedly asks you to sign in, pay, disclose information, or act urgently. Instead of using its link or phone number, contact the organization through a route you already trust. NIST’s phishing guidance covers the threat, and CISA provides free small-business factsheets and training resources through its small and medium-sized business resources.
Be equally cautious about security software offers. The FTC recommends obtaining security software from a reliable company and keeping it updated, but warns that free downloads can conceal malware. Download only from trusted sources, and do not buy software in response to an unexpected call or message. The FTC’s consumer guidance is Protect Your Computer from Malware.
Know what free guidance and tools can—and cannot—do
Official agencies publish practical material at no charge. CISA’s small-business resource page includes factsheets and training, while NIST maintains an index of free and low-cost online cybersecurity learning content. CISA also lists its SCuBA tool, which can assess and harden supported software-as-a-service configurations. Its availability does not mean every commercial feature is free or that the tool applies to every user or organization.
For personal devices, first use security and recovery features already built into the operating system, accounts, and services you rely on. If you are choosing security software, check that it comes from a trustworthy source, fits your operating system, updates reliably, and addresses a need you actually have. Official guidance supports maintaining security software, but does not establish that every person needs to buy a particular product.
A practical no-extra-cost checklist
- Enable MFA on email and other high-impact accounts, using the strongest compatible method available.
- Replace reused passwords on important accounts with unique ones; consider a password manager if it helps you maintain them.
- Turn on appropriate automatic updates and install pending updates for your devices and applications.
- Set up backups for important files and confirm the available storage and recovery process.
- Change default passwords on devices where you can do so.
- Pause before acting on unexpected messages, links, attachments, calls, or software offers.
- Use free official guidance to learn more, and treat any paid product as an optional choice based on a specific need—not a universal requirement.
This advice is grounded in U.S. consumer and small-business guidance. Needs can differ by device, country, organization, and threat exposure. CISA’s resource Four Cybersecurity Essentials for SLTTs was published August 29, 2025, and is directed at state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations rather than a universal consumer standard.
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