> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ipcheck.ing/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ipcheck.ing/knowledge-base/lookup-privacy/security-checklist.md). # Security Checklist ## What it does The **Security Checklist** is a guided list of 258 practical steps for protecting your accounts, devices and personal data. Each item can be ticked off, ignored, or expanded for an explanation of why it matters and how to do it. Nothing is scanned or tested. The tool does not look at your computer. It is a reading and tracking aid: you decide what you have already done, and it keeps score. {% hint style="info" %} The tool says it plainly in its own note: this list has many items, and you do not need to check everything at once. Progress is saved in your browser, so you can come back at any time. {% endhint %} ## How to use it {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Open the tool Go to **Advanced Tools** and click the **Security Checklist** card, or open `/tools/securitychecklist` directly. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Pick a category The left column lists the twelve categories with a progress counter next to each. Click one to load its items. **Authentication** is opened first. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Work through the items Click the circle at the left of an item to mark it **Checked**. Click the small info icon next to any item to expand a detailed explanation. The category description at the top has its own info icon with a longer introduction. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Skip what does not apply Use the switch on the right of an item to mark it **Ignored**. Ignored items are struck through and removed from the denominator, so a step about smart-home devices will not hold back your score if you own none. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ## The twelve categories | Category | What it covers | Items | | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | **Authentication** | Securing your online account login credentials | 21 | | **Web Browsing** | Avoiding tracking, censorship, and data collection online | 39 | | **Email** | Protecting the gateway to your online accounts | 21 | | **Messaging** | Keeping your communications private and secure | 19 | | **Social Media** | Minimizing the risks associated with using online communities | 15 | | **Networks** | Safeguarding your network traffic | 25 | | **Mobile Devices** | Reduce invasive tracking for cells, smartphones and tablets | 23 | | **Personal Computers** | Securing your PC's operating system, data & activity | 35 | | **Smart Home** | Using IoT devices without compromising your privacy | 13 | | **Personal Finance** | Protecting your funds, financial accounts and transactions | 10 | | **Human Aspect** | Avoiding social engineering security risks | 21 | | **Physical Security** | Taking measures to prevent IRL security incidents | 16 | ## Reading your progress The panel at the top of the page summarises everything. Four counters show the totals: the overall number of items, plus how many are **Checked**, **Ignored** and **Unchecked**. Under them, on the left, is one progress bar per category. Green is checked, blue is ignored. On the right are four circular charts, one per priority level. Every item carries a priority badge: | Priority | How to read it | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Essential** | Do these. They protect against the most common real-world attacks. | | **Optional** | Worthwhile, but the benefit depends on your situation. | | **Advanced** | For people with a specific threat to defend against. Often inconvenient. | | **Basic** | Groundwork that almost everyone should already have in place. | Inside a category, the toggle row above the list filters what you see: **Show All**, **Show Unchecked**, **Show Checked**, **Show Ignored**. "Show Unchecked" is the useful one once you have made some progress. ## How progress is stored {% hint style="warning" %} Your progress is saved in your browser's local storage on the device you are using. It is not stored in an account, and it does not follow you to another browser, another device, or a private window. {% endhint %} This means: * Clearing your browser's site data erases your progress. * Two devices keep two separate scores. * You do not need to sign in, and your answers are never sent anywhere. The **Reset Checklist** button in the top-right of the progress panel clears everything and starts over. There is no undo. Switching the site language reloads the checklist in that language. Your ticks are kept, because they are stored per item, not per translation. If you are signed in on IPCheck.ing, making progress here also unlocks achievements. See [Accounts & Achievements](/knowledge-base/getting-started/accounts-and-achievements.md). ## A suggested way to work through it Do not start at item one and grind to item 258. Try this instead: 1. **Start with Authentication.** Strong unique passwords, a password manager, and two-factor authentication on your main accounts fix the largest share of real risk for the least effort. 2. **Then Email.** Your inbox is the reset path for everything else, so it deserves the same protection as your bank. 3. **Then Personal Finance and Human Aspect.** These cover the attacks people actually meet: fraud and social engineering. 4. **Filter to Essential items first.** Use the priority badges to sweep the essentials across all categories before touching anything marked Advanced. 5. **Ignore aggressively.** If a category does not apply to you, ignore its items rather than leaving them unchecked. A realistic score is more motivating than a permanently stuck one. 6. **Come back later.** A few items a week is fine. The list is a long-term reference, not a task to finish in one sitting. ## It is a guide, not an audit This checklist reflects general good practice. It does not know anything about your devices, and ticking every box does not certify that you are secure. Some items involve trade-offs in convenience or compatibility, and a few advanced items are not appropriate for most people. Read the explanation before acting on an item you do not recognise. ## What to do next * See what your browser reveals right now with the [Browser Fingerprint](/knowledge-base/lookup-privacy/browser-fingerprint.md) tool. * Check whether your traffic looks like a proxy or VPN with the [Invisibility Test](/knowledge-base/connection-tools/invisibility-test.md). * Confirm your VPN is doing its job in [Is My VPN or Proxy Working?](/knowledge-base/diagnose/is-my-vpn-working.md). * Test for DNS and WebRTC leaks with the [DNS Leak Test](/knowledge-base/connection-tools/dns-leak-test.md) and [WebRTC Test](/knowledge-base/connection-tools/webrtc-test.md). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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