Cyber Made Simple — week 20 2026-05-11

What happened this week

Two important guides landed this week covering some of the most practical ways to keep your family's data safe at home — one looking at the risks of sharing your devices and Wi-Fi with others, and another breaking down how encryption works in plain English. Both are well worth a read if you want to feel more confident about your everyday digital security.

Top picks

• Why You Should Never Share Your Personal Device or Home Network — A clear reminder that handing your phone or laptop to a stranger (or letting them onto your Wi-Fi) can open the door to malware, stolen passwords, and even financial loss. Worth sharing with the whole family.
• A Simple Guide to Encryption — Encryption sounds technical, but it is already built into your Windows PC or Mac. This guide explains what it does and how to switch it on without any fuss.

What to do next

Check whether encryption is switched on for your main home computer — on Windows, search for BitLocker in the Start menu, and on a Mac, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → FileVault. If it is not already on, follow the prompts to enable it; it runs quietly in the background and means your files stay protected even if your device is ever lost or stolen.