Digital Safety Center Editorial Standards
The Digital Safety Center is here to give you safety steps you can trust and act on. This is how the guides are written and checked.
Free solutions come first
If a free tool, or a setting already on your phone or computer, does the job, that is what we recommend first.
Checked against official sources
Security instructions are checked primarily against authoritative sources such as the FTC, the FBI and its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), CISA, the CFPB, the Department of Justice, NIST, Microsoft, Apple and other relevant official sources. Each guide lists its sources at the bottom of the page.
Dated and rechecked
Important instructions show the date they were checked, and they are rechecked when practical.
What we leave out
Unsupported claims, fear-based claims and guarantees are left out. No product or habit can promise you will never be scammed or hacked, and we will not tell you otherwise.
When sources disagree
If official sources disagree, or a fact cannot be verified, the guide says so rather than guessing.
Affiliate links do not decide recommendations
A paid product is never recommended simply because an affiliate program exists. See our Affiliate Disclosure for how any affiliate relationship is handled.
Guides can go out of date
Software, menus and official guidance change, so an older guide may need updating. If a step no longer matches what you see on your screen, check the official source listed in that guide, and let us know through the Contact page.