#1 Cybersecurity Expert Reveals: 5 Ways to Protect Yourself Online (Starting Tonight)

In this podcast episode, award-winning cybersecurity expert Caitlyn Sarian joins the Mel Robbins podcast to demystify cybersecurity and share practical tips to empower listeners to protect themselves online. Caitlyn draws from her extensive experience, including acclaim as Cybersecurity Woman of the World and Cybersecurity Educator of the Year, to explain the urgency of safeguarding one's digital footprint. She highlights the increasing sophistication of scams fueled by AI and data breaches, and offers actionable advice centered on five foundational practices that anyone can adopt to increase their online safety.

What Is Cybersecurity and Why It Matters

Caitlyn begins by defining cybersecurity as the protection of your digital footprint, encompassing all online behaviors such as apps used, websites visited, and accounts created. She emphasizes that every interaction online creates data that is recorded, analyzed, and potentially exploited. Contrary to common belief, incognito or private browsing modes only prevent local device tracking but do not hide your activities from websites or network providers. She reassures listeners that cybersecurity is not a niche subject for experts, but a necessary skill for everyone navigating the digital world.

Protecting Your Personal Information

As an essential precaution, Caitlyn advises against sharing real birthdays, phone numbers, or full names online unless absolutely necessary. She encourages creating alternate online personas with fabricated details to limit personal data exposure. Using services like Google Voice to generate secondary phone numbers and separate email addresses for account sign-ups can minimize risks. She warns that oversharing—even seemingly harmless information like vacation photos shared while still away from home—can increase vulnerability to scams, as attackers use open-source intelligence to craft targeted social engineering attacks.

The Dangers of Free Wi-Fi and Safe Usage

Caitlyn explains that free Wi-Fi networks often lack encryption, making it easy for hackers to intercept data transmitted over them, such as messages or banking information. She describes the data as traveling through "tunnels" and how insecure networks allow outsiders to "peek inside." While most U.S. websites use HTTPS (which secures data transmissions), overseas and public Wi-Fi may not, increasing risk. She recommends avoiding sensitive activities on public networks, tethering to personal phone data instead, or using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to create a secure connection. On airplanes, although less vulnerable to nearby hackers, users should remain cautious since the Wi-Fi is still on a shared network.

Password Hygiene and Account Management

Poor password habits remain the number one way people get hacked. Caitlyn stresses the importance of using strong, unique passwords for each key account and turning on multifactor authentication (MFA) where possible. She warns against saving passwords in unsecured places like notes apps synced to the cloud without additional protection. She prefers password managers, either dedicated apps or those integrated securely into smartphones, for generating and storing complex passwords. Additionally, Caitlyn cautions against common security questions such as mother's maiden name or high school since such information is often publicly accessible through social media or data breaches.

Recognizing and Avoiding Common Scams

The episode highlights popular scams such as fraudulent phone calls pretending to be from the FBI or police, demanding payment via cryptocurrency to avoid arrest. Caitlyn emphasizes that if anyone requests crypto funds or urgent payments, it's a red flag. Similarly, she educates about a Venmo scam where fraudsters send money from stolen cards, then ask for the money back—leaving the victim financially responsible when the original transactions are reversed. She encourages vigilance, never answering unknown calls, and removing personal information from voicemail greetings to avoid voice authentication fraud.

Managing Digital Footprint and Data Privacy

Caitlyn encourages limiting the amount of personal data online and suggests monthly use of deletion services like Incogn that help scrub personal information from public databases. She also mentions manual processes to opt out from people search sites. Reviewing app permissions is critical—disable unnecessary access to camera, microphone, and precise location unless the app legitimately requires it. She reveals that major social media platforms scan unposted photos or other personal content if granted full access, and urges users to restrict permissions accordingly.

Protecting Family Members and Children Online

Parents and caretakers are advised to freeze credit for elderly relatives and educate them about common scams, encouraging open communication about suspicious contacts or requests. For children, Caitlyn stresses the importance of using child-appropriate accounts on platforms with strict privacy controls, blocking direct messages, and limiting friend lists to known contacts. She specifically warns against apps like Snapchat, where disappearing messages give false security while increasing vulnerability to exploitation or extortion. She recommends teaching kids not to send private photos and provide resources such as the FBI's Internet Crimes Complaint Center for reporting online crimes.

Safeguarding Devices and Using Caution with Hardware

Caitlyn explains "juice jacking," which occurs when charging phones through public USB ports that can transfer data or malware, suggesting that it is safer to use wall chargers instead. She also advises removing quick access to airplane mode on smartphones to prevent thieves from disabling tracking after theft. Using physical camera covers on laptops, baby monitors, and doorbell cameras is a simple yet powerful defense against unauthorized remote access. Reusing passwords for security cameras or smart devices drastically increases vulnerability to being hacked.

The Impact of Emerging Technologies and Biometrics

The conversation touches on wearable technology and biometric data collection, raising concerns about how much intimate information is gathered and shared by these devices. Caitlyn practices a risk-based approach—balancing utility and privacy by reading privacy policies carefully, often by leveraging AI tools to better understand the dense legal jargon. Biometrics such as facial recognition, iris scans, and fingerprints, increasingly used for TSA pre-checks and phone authentication, pose a risk because unlike passwords, they cannot be changed if compromised. Using protective measures such as specialized eyewear to shield infrared biometric scans is one way Caitlyn mitigates surveillance risks.

The Five Core Actions to Start Tonight

To build routine cybersecurity hygiene, Caitlyn distills her advice into five core habits: using strong, unique passwords across all important accounts with multifactor authentication enabled; automating all software updates to patch vulnerabilities; freezing your credit to prevent unauthorized account openings; pausing and carefully scrutinizing any link or request for 9 seconds before clicking or responding; and limiting the amount of personal data shared online, including through deletion services or manual opt-outs. Implementing these steps gradually, Caitlyn says, empowers individuals to protect themselves without feeling overwhelmed.

Final Empowerment and Mindset Shift

Throughout the episode, Caitlyn reassures listeners that cybersecurity is accessible and essential—not intimidating. She stresses that everyone is susceptible because of a lack of early education on protecting digital lives but offers hope through steady, manageable efforts. She encourages sharing these lessons widely with family and friends to collectively raise awareness. Caitlyn closes by reminding that cybersecurity decisions are risk-based and that simple, consistent habits create significant safety and peace of mind online.