Prepared Families Network

Resilient Families

Lock down your money, privacy & identity — your complete, step-by-step toolkit, done at your own pace, right from your phone.

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Prepared Families Network

Resilient Families

Lock down your money, privacy & identity — simple steps you can do one at a time, right from your phone.

Your Readiness 0%

47 steps total. Start anywhere — every step counts.

Welcome. This is your personal action kit. Work through it at your own pace — five minutes here, five minutes there. There are no wrong answers and nothing to install.

The best time to prepare is now — while things are calm. It's so much easier to get ready before hard times arrive than to scramble once they're already here. A little you do today becomes real peace of mind tomorrow.

Tap any step to see plain-English instructions. Tap the circle to mark it done. Your progress saves on this phone automatically, so you can come back anytime and pick up where you left off.

See where your info is exposed (free)
A free scan shows which sites are selling your name, address & phone.
Show steps ▾
  1. On a computer or phone, go to optery.com and create a free account.
  2. Enter your name and general location. In a few minutes you'll get a report — often with screenshots — showing where your information appears.
  3. This is free and a great starting point. You don't have to buy anything to see it.
Tip

This free report is eye-opening for most people. See Optery & run your free scan →

Remove yourself from Whitepages
One of the highest-traffic sites — most likely to show up in a Google search of your name.
Show steps ▾
  1. Go to whitepages.com and search your name and state to find your listing.
  2. Copy the web address (URL) of your profile page.
  3. Go to whitepages.com/suppression-requests, paste your profile link, and follow the steps.
  4. You'll get an automated phone call with a code — enter that code to confirm.
  5. If a link ever stops working, just search the site name plus the words opt out.
Remove yourself from Spokeo
A major people-search site that lists your address history and relatives.
Show steps ▾
  1. Search your name at spokeo.com and open your listing.
  2. Copy the web address (URL) of that listing.
  3. Go to spokeo.com/optout, paste the link, and enter an email address.
  4. Open the email they send and click the confirmation link.
Remove yourself from BeenVerified
Removing here often clears PeopleLooker & PeopleSmart too — they share a database.
Show steps ▾
  1. Go to beenverified.com/app/optout/search.
  2. Search your name and state, find your record, and click Proceed to Opt Out.
  3. Enter an email address and complete the simple puzzle.
  4. Click the verify link in the email they send you.
Remove yourself from TruePeopleSearch
Shows addresses, phone numbers, and relatives — free for anyone to see.
Show steps ▾
  1. Find your record at truepeoplesearch.com and copy its web address.
  2. Go to truepeoplesearch.com/removal.
  3. Paste the link, enter your email, and verify through the email they send.
Remove yourself from FastPeopleSearch
A sister site to the others — clearing it closes another open door.
Show steps ▾
  1. Find your record at fastpeoplesearch.com and copy its web address.
  2. Go to fastpeoplesearch.com/removal and paste the link.
  3. Enter your email and confirm through the email they send.
Do it the smart way
A few habits make removals faster and keep them from coming back.
Show steps ▾
  1. Use a separate email just for these opt-outs, so confirmation messages don't clutter your main inbox.
  2. Screenshot each confirmation in case you need to prove you asked.
  3. Do about 5 sites per sitting — there's no need to rush through all of them at once.
  4. Re-check every 3–6 months. These sites re-post your data over time; removal is something you repeat, not a one-time fix.
Decide: do it yourself, or let software do it
Doing every site by hand can take 40+ hours. There's a faster path if you want it.
Show steps ▾
  1. Free / Do-it-yourself: Keep working the list above. Costs nothing but your time.
  2. Let software do it (Optery): It finds and removes you from hundreds of sites automatically and keeps watching for re-posts.
  3. Rough pricing (always check the site, prices change): Core ≈ $39/yr, Extended ≈ $149/yr (the popular middle choice), Ultimate ≈ $249/yr (most sites). Discounts often apply for teachers, first responders & military.
  4. There's no shame in paying for time back — a fixed income is exactly when your hours are most precious.
Recommended tool

Start with the free scan, then choose a plan if it's worth it to you: View Optery plans →

Stop apps from tracking you
Turns off the hidden ID apps like Facebook & Instagram use to follow you across the web.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking.
  2. Turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track.”
Lock down app permissions
Most apps ask for far more access than they need — location, contacts, photos, mic.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & Security.
  2. Tap each category — Location Services, Contacts, Photos, Microphone, Camera — and turn off access for any app that doesn't truly need it.
  3. Under Location Services, set most apps to While Using or Never, and turn off Precise Location for apps that don't need your exact spot.
  4. Still in Location Services, scroll to System Services at the bottom and turn off Significant Locations — your phone's private log of everywhere you go.
Turn off Apple's personalized ads
Switches off your phone's ad identifier (IDFA) so Apple can't target you in the App Store, News & Stocks.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Apple Advertising.
  2. Turn off “Personalized Ads.”
Stop sharing analytics
Keeps your usage and diagnostic data on your phone instead of sending it out.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements.
  2. Turn off “Share iPhone Analytics” (and iCloud / Watch analytics if shown).
Tighten up Safari
Blocks websites and trackers from following you around the web.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings and find Safari.
  2. Turn on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.
  3. Set Hide IP Address to “Trackers and Websites.”
  4. Turn on the Pop-up Blocker.
  5. Optional: turn on Block All Cookies for extra privacy — note this can log you out of some sites.
  6. Every so often, tap Clear History and Website Data.
Stop apps from reading your clipboard
Some apps quietly read whatever you've copied — including passwords you paste.
Show steps ▾
  1. Good news: your iPhone already asks by default and shows a banner whenever an app reads your clipboard.
  2. To block a specific app for good, open Settings and scroll down to that app.
  3. Tap Paste from Other Apps and choose Deny.
  4. (This option only shows up for apps that have tried to read your clipboard before.)
Turn on the App Privacy Report
Shows you which apps are quietly reaching for your location, mic, camera & contacts.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & Security › App Privacy Report.
  2. Turn it on. Check back in a week — you'll see exactly who's been snooping.
  3. Then tighten or delete the worst offenders.
Limit background activity
Apps running in the background can keep collecting data when you're not even using them.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › General › Background App Refresh.
  2. Turn it off for any app that has no reason to run in the background.
Lock down your photos
Social apps can scan your entire photo library unless you limit them.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos.
  2. For social media apps, change access to Selected Photos (or None).
  3. Now they only see the photos you specifically choose.
Turn on Mail privacy
Stops senders from seeing when you open an email or roughly where you are.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings, find Mail, then tap Privacy Protection.
  2. Turn on Protect Mail Activity — this hides your IP and loads content privately.
Harden your iCloud
Advanced Data Protection encrypts nearly everything end-to-end — so not even Apple can read it.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then iCloud.
  2. Turn off syncing for anything you'd rather not store in the cloud.
  3. Find Advanced Data Protection and turn it on.
  4. You'll set up a recovery key or contact — keep it somewhere safe, because it's the only way back in if you're locked out.
Security essentials
A few basics that protect everything else on your phone.
Show steps ▾
  1. Use a strong passcode plus Face ID, and turn on two-factor authentication for your Apple Account.
  2. Delete apps you don't use — they often keep collecting data in the background.
  3. If you ever suspect you're being targeted, turn on Lockdown Mode (Settings › Privacy & Security › Lockdown Mode) for maximum protection.

Pick your computer to see just the steps that apply to you.

Mac: turn off Apple ads & analytics
The same data-sharing toggles live on your Mac.
Show steps ▾
  1. Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security.
  2. Open Apple Advertising and turn off Personalized Ads.
  3. Open Analytics & Improvements and turn the sharing options off.
Mac: rein in location tracking
Your Mac can track and log where you are, just like your phone.
Show steps ▾
  1. System Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services.
  2. Turn off, or limit, apps that don't need your location.
  3. Open System Services (Details) and turn off location-based suggestions/ads and Significant Locations.
Mac: check app permissions
See which apps can reach your camera, microphone and screen.
Show steps ▾
  1. System Settings › Privacy & Security.
  2. Tap Camera, Microphone, and Screen Recording one at a time.
  3. Turn off any app that doesn't truly need that access.
Mac: turn on the firewall
Blocks unwanted incoming connections. Safe to leave on — it won't break normal use.
Show steps ▾
  1. System Settings › Network › Firewall.
  2. Turn it on.
Mac: turn on FileVault
Encrypts your whole drive so a lost or stolen Mac can't be read.
Show steps ▾
  1. System Settings › Privacy & Security › FileVault.
  2. Turn it on.
  3. Save your recovery key somewhere safe — it's the only way back in if you forget your password.
Windows: turn off the ad ID
Windows hands you an advertising ID and tailors content to you by default.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & security.
  2. Under General, turn off the advertising ID and tailored experiences.
Windows: cut back diagnostic data
Limits how much usage data Windows sends to Microsoft.
Show steps ▾
  1. Settings › Privacy & security › Diagnostics & feedback.
  2. Choose the minimum (Required) data and turn off tailored experiences.
  3. You can also tap Delete diagnostic data here.
Windows: check app permissions
Control which apps can use your location, camera and microphone.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Settings › Privacy & security.
  2. Open Location, Camera, and Microphone one at a time.
  3. Turn off any app that doesn't need access.
Windows: confirm your security is on
Make sure your built-in protection and firewall are actually running.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open Windows Security (search for it in the Start menu).
  2. Check that Virus & threat protection (real-time) is on.
  3. Check that Firewall & network protection is on.
Windows: turn on device encryption
Scrambles your drive so a lost or stolen laptop can't be read. (Not on every PC.)
Show steps ▾
  1. Settings › Privacy & security › Device encryption (or search “BitLocker”).
  2. Turn it on if it's offered on your PC.
  3. Save your recovery key somewhere safe — it's the only way back in if you're locked out.
Set up a banking-only browser
Keeps your bank logins walled off from everything else you do online.
Show steps ▾
  1. Pick a separate browser (or a separate profile) and use it only for banking.
  2. Add no extensions to it.
  3. Stay logged out of email and social media in that browser.
  4. Do all your banking there, and nothing else.
Turn on your browser's tracking protection
Stops most websites from following you from site to site.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open your browser's Settings and find Privacy.
  2. Turn on tracking prevention and block third-party cookies.
  3. In Chrome or Edge it's under “Privacy and security”; in Safari it's “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.”
Clear out browser extensions
Old or unknown extensions are a common way data leaks out.
Show steps ▾
  1. Open your browser's extensions list.
  2. Remove anything you don't recognize or no longer use.
  3. Keep only the few you truly trust.
Keep your computer updated
Most break-ins use old, unpatched software — updates quietly close those holes.
Show steps ▾
  1. Turn on automatic updates. Mac: System Settings › General › Software Update. Windows: Settings › Windows Update.
  2. Install what's waiting, and restart when asked — that's when the fixes take effect.
Set up a password manager
One strong app remembers every password so you don't reuse weak ones.
Show steps ▾
  1. We recommend 1Password. It also uses a Secret Key on top of your master password, which makes it especially hard for anyone to break in.
  2. Download it from the official link below and install it.
  3. Create one strong “master password” you'll actually remember.
  4. As you log into sites, let it save each login.
  5. Let it generate a new, strong password for your most important accounts.
Recommended tool

1Password — to date, its password vaults have never been breached, which is why we recommend it. Download it directly from the maker: Download 1Password →

Turn on two-factor (2FA)
Even if someone steals a password, they still can't get in without your phone.
Show steps ▾
  1. Turn on two-factor authentication for your bank, email, and social media first.
  2. Look under each account's Security settings for “two-factor” or “2-step verification.”
  3. Use a text code or an authenticator app — both are far better than nothing.
Spread savings across institutions
FDIC insures up to $250,000 per bank — don't keep more than that in one place.
Show steps ▾
  1. List where your savings currently sit.
  2. If any one bank or credit union holds near $250,000, consider spreading it across more than one.
  3. This keeps your money fully insured.
Keep some emergency cash at home
Useful for short-term needs if cards or power are down.
Show steps ▾
  1. Set aside an amount you're comfortable with — a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars.
  2. Store it somewhere safe and known only to your household.
Diversify beyond cash
Spreading across account types and assets steadies you over time.
Show steps ▾
  1. Make sure you're not relying on cash alone.
  2. Consider retirement accounts and, for some families, tangible holdings like land or metals.
  3. This is general information, not financial advice — talk to a professional about your situation.
Turn on bank & card alerts
Get pinged the instant something unusual hits your account.
Show steps ▾
  1. In your bank and credit card apps, open Alerts or Notifications.
  2. Turn on alerts for purchases, large transactions, and logins.
  3. Now you'll catch fraud in minutes, not at the end of the month.
Set a family code word
AI can fake a loved one's voice asking for money — a code word stops it cold.
Show steps ▾
  1. Pick a private word or phrase only your family knows.
  2. Agree that any urgent call asking for money or info must include it.
  3. If a call sounds like family but feels off, hang up and call them back on their known number.
Be careful what you let AI access
“Agentic” AI can act for you — booking, buying, managing accounts. Treat it like an unvetted helper.
Show steps ▾
  1. Before granting any AI tool access to email, calendar, or money, ask: What exactly can it do? Can I easily revoke it?
  2. Use AI freely for research and drafting — but don't hand over the keys to your accounts by default.
  3. Review and remove access you no longer use.
Teach the kids & teens
They'll grow up with AI everywhere — verifying matters most for them.
Show steps ▾
  1. Show them that AI can be wrong or faked.
  2. Make it a habit: verify anything urgent, financial, or emotional with a real person first.
Stay engaged locally
School boards, town councils & local elections are where your voice carries furthest.
Show steps ▾
  1. Find when your local board and council meet.
  2. Put the next meeting and your next election on the calendar.
  3. Show up or tune in — small, steady presence is real influence.
Know your data rights
Schools, employers & local government collect data — you can ask how.
Show steps ▾
  1. Ask what data is collected about your family, and request the policies in writing.
  2. Keep a simple folder of the answers you get.
Build relationships now
Trust with neighbors and officials is best built before you need it.
Show steps ▾
  1. Introduce yourself to a neighbor or local official you don't yet know.
  2. These connections are part of real resilience.
Choose ONE thing and do it before the next meeting
Small, consistent steps build real resilience. You don't have to do it all at once.
Show steps ▾
  1. Scroll back and pick the single step that matters most to you right now.
  2. Do just that one before your next gathering.
  3. Come back next week and pick the next one. That's how this works.

Prepared Families Network · Resilient Families Toolkit
Educational information only — not financial, legal, or tax advice.

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