This week was kind of a turning point for AI and cybersecurity. A single hacker set AI agents loose on more than 1,200 websites and broke into about 100 companies, including Deere, SharkNinja, and Cummins. The whole operation cost roughly $5,000 in AI tokens. That's about $50 per breach. In the same stretch, Node.js, the software running under a huge share of the internet (and most AI agents), patched 10 vulnerabilities, four of them rated High.
When hacking gets this cheap, attackers stop picking targets and start trying everyone. So please take this weekend to do some simple cleanup for your family. This guide covers nine digital fixes you can knock out in an afternoon, plus an offline plan for the scenario that seems less insane with every passing day: the internet going down.
Part 1: The Digital Cleanup
1. Set up a password manager and share it with your partner
Use a password manager like 1Password and give your spouse or partner access to a shared vault. Then actually teach them how to use it. If you're the only person in the house who knows where the logins live, that's a single point of failure.
How to do it: 1Password's guide to sharing passwords with your family walks you through setting up a family account, and this one shows how to create and share a vault.
2. Update your passwords for the critical stuff
Start with your email account, then your bank and financial accounts. Email comes first because it's the master key: whoever controls your inbox can reset everything else. Use the strongest password you can (let the password manager generate it) and store it there.
How to do it: Once your password manager is set up, open its password generator, create a new password for each critical account, and save it as you change it on the site. Do your email first, then work down the list.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication for everything you can
Here's the ranking, from weakest to strongest:
SMS codes: not ideal, but better than nothing.
Authenticator app or passkey: better. Google Authenticator works, and passkeys are even easier.
Hardware security key: safest.
How to do it: CISA's guide to turning on multifactor authentication explains the basics. For Gmail, here's how to turn on 2-Step Verification. Look for "Security" or "Login" in the settings of every other account that matters.
4. Add a SIM PIN to your phone
A SIM PIN makes it harder for someone to SIM jack you, which is when a criminal hijacks your phone number to intercept your texts and 2FA codes. While you're at it, ask your carrier to add a port-out PIN or number lock to your account.
How to do it: On iPhone, follow Apple's steps to use a SIM PIN. Have your carrier's default PIN ready first, because too many wrong guesses can lock your SIM. On Android, look under Settings, then Security, then SIM lock (the exact path varies by phone). For the port-out lock, call your carrier or search your carrier's name plus "number lock."
5. Update your phone and computer, then turn on auto-updates
Install the newest releases on every device in the house, then turn auto-updates on so you never have to think about it again. Most of what attackers exploit has already been patched. They're counting on you not installing it.
How to do it: Apple's guides to updating your iPhone and updating macOS both show where to turn on automatic updates. On Android, here's how to check and update your version. On Windows, go to Settings, then Windows Update.
6. Freeze your credit
It takes about five minutes per bureau, and it's free. Freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion so no one can open a new account in your name. You can temporarily lift it any time you need to apply for credit.
How to do it: You have to freeze at each bureau separately: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Save your logins (or PINs) in your password manager so you can unfreeze later.
7. Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN
An IP PIN is a six-digit number that stops anyone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number. Anyone with an SSN or ITIN can get one, and it renews every year.
How to do it: Use the IRS's Get an IP PIN page. You'll verify your identity online, and your PIN shows up right away. Save it in your password manager, because you'll need it every time you file.
8. If you use Claude Code or AI agents, update Node.js
If you're using Claude Code or have AI agents that browse the web, they're probably running on Node.js. And Node.js is vulnerable. Update Claude Code, then update Node on your machine. Type node -v in your terminal to check your version. You want at least 22.23.4, 24.22.1, or 26.12.1, depending on which line you're on. If you're on version 25, 23, 21, or anything 20 and older, there's no patch coming: move to a supported version.
How to do it: Download the latest version from nodejs.org. To update Claude Code, run claude update in your terminal. Most installs also update themselves automatically, and Anthropic's setup guide covers the Homebrew and WinGet commands.
9. Have AI audit your repos, daily
If you're building stuff on your computer, ask Claude or Grok (which is connected to X and likely has the most current info) to audit your repos for vulnerabilities. Then make it a scheduled task so it runs every day. Things are moving very quickly in this space right now, and a weekly check is already too slow.
How to do it: In Claude Code, open your project and run /security-review, or just ask: "Audit this repo for security vulnerabilities and outdated dependencies, then fix what you find." If your code is on GitHub, also turn on Dependabot so you get alerts when a package you use has a known flaw.
Part 2: The Offline Plan (If the Internet Goes Down)
What happens if a global cyberattack or an AI swarm takes the internet down for a few days? A year ago this felt like a movie plot. Now it feels like basic planning. I also bought myself the SAS Survival Guide, which is essentially a bush manual for almost every imaginable outcome. Here's the checklist I'm working through, aiming for two weeks of coverage.
Money
Keep cash at home, about two to four weeks of essentials, in small bills. Card readers and ATMs need the network.
Write down your bank, credit card, and insurance account details and phone numbers on paper.
Resources: Ready.gov's financial preparedness page includes a free checklist for organizing your financial documents.
Information and contacts
Print a contact list with family, close friends, neighbors, doctors, and the kids' school.
Agree on a family meeting point and plan in case phones are down, such as "if we can't reach each other, meet at X by Y time."
Export and print or save offline anything business-critical.
Download offline maps.
Keep paper copies of passports, IDs, insurance cards, and prescriptions.
Resources: Ready.gov has a free family emergency plan template you can fill out and print. Here's how to download offline maps in Google Maps.
Communication
Get a battery or hand-crank AM/FM/NOAA radio. It will be your main news source.
Consider a pair of walkie-talkies or GMRS radios for the family.
Don't count on your landline. Most "landlines" now run over the internet.
Resources: Learn how NOAA Weather Radio works and find your local station. GMRS radios have more range than basic walkie-talkies, but they require an FCC license. One license covers your whole family, and there's no test.
Power
Keep power banks charged, plus a solar charger or a larger portable power station.
Have flashlights, headlamps, and spare batteries.
Resources: Ready.gov's power outage guide covers what to do before, during, and after.
Water and food (for people and pets)
Store about one gallon of water per person per day. If you live in a high-rise, this matters most, because building water pumps need electricity.
Store two weeks of food rations for every person in the house. A simple way to plan: three meals a day, times 14 days, times the number of people. Think canned beans and vegetables, nut butters, oats, rice, pasta, dried fruit, nuts, protein bars, and shelf-stable plant milk.
Stock shelf-stable food the kids will actually eat, plus a manual can opener.
Don't forget the pets. Store two weeks of pet food (and any pet meds), plus extra water for them on top of the family's supply. Keep dry food sealed in an airtight container and rotate it so it doesn't go stale.
Rotate your stock. Put new groceries in the back, eat from the front, and check expiration dates every few months.
Keep a camping stove with fuel for outdoor or ventilated use only, or stick to no-cook foods.
Resources: Ready.gov's guides to storing water, emergency food, and preparing your pets.
Health
Keep at least a 30-day supply of any prescriptions.
Have a first aid kit, OTC basics like pain relievers in children's doses, and hygiene supplies.
Resources: Ready.gov's emergency kit checklist includes first aid and hygiene supplies. Ask your pharmacist or doctor about getting an extra month of any prescriptions.
Home and offline life
Learn how to manually open anything electronic, such as smart locks and your building's garage or entry.
Keep a paper copy of your building's emergency procedures and the super's number.
Download offline entertainment and learning material for the kids: books, games, and art supplies.
Get to know a few neighbors. Your local community becomes your network fast.
Digital hygiene (helps before and after)
Back up photos and documents to an external drive that you keep offline.
Use strong, unique passwords with 2FA, and keep printed recovery codes for your key accounts.
Resources: Here's how to print backup codes for your Google account. Most major accounts (Apple, Microsoft, banks, and social media) have a similar option under security settings.
Family Cybersecurity FAQ
What's the single most important thing to do first?
Secure your email. Change the password, store it in a password manager, and turn on an authenticator app, passkey, or hardware key. Your inbox is how attackers reset every other account.
Is SMS two-factor authentication safe?
It's better than nothing, but it's the weakest option because your number can be hijacked through a SIM swap. Use an authenticator app, a passkey, or a hardware key wherever you can, and add a SIM PIN to your phone.
Does freezing my credit hurt my score?
No. A credit freeze is free, doesn't affect your score, and you can lift it temporarily whenever you need to apply for a loan or card.
How do I know if my Node.js version is vulnerable?
Run node -v in your terminal. If you're below 22.23.4, 24.22.1, or 26.12.1 on those release lines, or on any unsupported version, update.
How much water should I store for an emergency?
About one gallon per person per day, for at least two weeks if you can. Store extra for pets on top of that.
How much food should I store for an emergency?
Aim for two weeks of shelf-stable food rations per person, plus two weeks of food for each pet. Choose things your family already eats, keep a manual can opener with the supply, and rotate it so nothing expires.
The Bottom Line
AI just made hacking cheap, fast, and automatic. You can't control that. You can control whether your family is the easy target. Block out one afternoon this weekend: password manager, 2FA, SIM PIN, updates, credit freeze, and IP PIN. Then start chipping away at the offline list. Future you will be glad you did.
This guide is for general information, not financial, legal, or security advice.
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