As the holiday season draws near, millions are gathering with friends and family to celebrate. However, amidst the festivities lies an opportunity for you to gift something invaluable—cybersecurity knowledge. Instead of solely troubleshooting tech issues or fixing the Wi-Fi, share critical security advice to protect your loved ones from the increasing number of online threats.

In my years covering cybersecurity, I've come to view it as a necessary investment—one you hope will never be needed. The sobering reality is, the unfortunate “oh no!” moment of realizing you've been hacked can happen to anyone, especially if they’re using outdated passwords or insecure practices. Many people mistakenly believe, “It could never happen to me,” similar to how many ignore the risks of a house fire without installing smoke alarms.

Taking a moment to talk about cybersecurity with friends and family can ignite their awareness and inspire healthier online habits. To get you started, I reached out to cybersecurity experts Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, and Caitlin Condon, vulnerability intelligence director at Rapid7, both of whom provided insightful recommendations.

1. Set Up a Password Manager

One of the simplest and most effective ways to enhance online security is to encourage the use of password managers. These tools not only store complex and unique passwords but can generate them as well, freeing users from the burden of remembering numerous passwords. Giving the right guidance can be invaluable—walk your family through setting up a password manager, starting with essential accounts like banking and healthcare websites.

If they fear losing their master password, suggest safely recording it and storing it in a secure location at home. As Condon states, "It's significantly less risky to write down a master password than to use easy-to-guess passwords across multiple sites."

2. Activate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)