Home protection levels

How safe is your home, in technology terms? Here are five steps that anyone can understand, and what each one looks like in real life.

What the levels cover

The levels look at two things together.

• Devices at home. Phones, tablets, computers, the Wi-Fi box, smart speakers and cameras.
• Accounts online. Email, banking, photos, your Medicare or health website, and the apps that run smart-home gadgets.

You may be on a higher step for one than the other. That is common, and we write down both.

The five levels

1. Level 1: Exposed

   Some doors are open. Nothing has gone wrong yet, but one slip could cause real trouble.

   For example: The same password is used for email and for the bank, and the Wi-Fi box still has the password it came with.

2. Level 2: Basics in place

   The most common problems are closed. The home is much harder to trip up.

   For example: Phones and computers update on their own. Photos are copied to a second safe place. Each important account has its own password, kept in a password manager (a safe place that remembers passwords for you).

3. Level 3: Protected

   The important accounts have a second lock, and the devices in the house are kept apart from the computers.

   For example: Your email and bank logins use a second step, so a stolen password alone can’t get in. The smart speaker and cameras sit on their own guest network, away from the family computer.

4. Level 4: Protected and practiced

   The household has tried it, not only set it up. Everyone knows what to do when something looks wrong.

   For example: Everyone has practiced what to do when a scam call comes. Everyone knows the family code word. Someone can get back into a locked account through the recovery contacts you chose.

5. Level 5: Watched over

   Someone keeps looking, so small problems are found early. The plan changes when the home changes.

   For example: At each visit we check the devices and accounts again. We tell you about new scams that matter to you. When you buy a new phone or a smart doorbell, we update the plan.

How you move up

You do not climb all five steps in one day. Each visit moves you up a step or two, at your pace. At every visit we look again at where you are. If you buy a new device or open a new account, you may move down a step for a while. That is normal. We just add it to the plan.

Your first plan says which step you are on now and which one we are aiming for. Read how the written plan works.

A note on alarm systems

Alarm systems are installed by licensed installers. We plan the design with Security Medic Physical. We do not sell or install alarm equipment.

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