“Passwords, updates, two-factor. I just want it explained plainly.”
One chapter per topic, one step at a time, no assumed knowledge.
Book 4 · The Stay Safe Series · Coming soon
Stay Safe Online
Safe Online Habits for a Lifetime of Independence
Your phone, your email, and your online accounts hold more of your life than most people realize. This book starts with the few things that matter most. Passwords you can manage. The one extra sign-in step that CISA says makes you 99% less likely to be hacked. How to spot a fake message now that scammers use AI to write them with no typos. You don’t need to be a tech expert. You just need to know which few things to check, and where to look.
In active development. Join the list and we’ll send one email the day it’s ready.
Is this book for you?
It probably is if one of these sounds familiar.
“I want to keep banking, shopping, and video-calling without the worry.”
The book shows you a handful of settings to check once. Then you can get on with using the internet.
“I’m the one my parents call when something pops up on the screen.”
Written for the person at the keyboard, in words you can read out loud over the phone.
Why this book
Most online harm doesn’t start with a genius hacker. It starts with a password used in two places, a login with no second step, or a message that looked real enough to click. Those are habits, and habits can change.
This book covers the ones that matter most. Passwords you can manage. A second sign-in step. Spotting fake messages. Safe browsing. Locking your phone and tablet. Social media privacy. Home Wi-Fi. Backing up what matters. None of it asks you to become a tech expert.
What you’ll learn
- Build a password habit that holds up, without memorizing dozens of them
- Turn on the second sign-in step on every account that matters, and see why CISA rates it so highly
- Spot an AI-written phishing message, now that perfect grammar no longer gives it away
- Browse safely, and tell a real website from a convincing fake
- Lock your phone or tablet so a lost device is a nuisance, not a crisis
- Set your social media privacy so oversharing can’t be used against you
- Secure your home Wi-Fi and the smart devices on it
- Back up what matters, so a breach or a broken device is a bother, not a disaster
Where this book names a product or app, it’s an example of a feature, not a recommendation. We don’t sell devices or take payment to feature them.
What people 60 and older report most
Every year the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center publishes what people reported. Here’s what people 60 and older reported most in 2025. This book covers all five, in this order.
| Rank | Scam type | Reports | Amount lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phishing and spoofed messages | 48,064 | $77 million |
| 2 | Tech support scams | 21,333 | $1.04 billion |
| 3 | Investment scams | 16,926 | $3.5 billion |
| 4 | Personal data breaches | 11,705 | $324 million |
| 5 | Romance scams | 10,188 | $584 million |
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, complainants aged 60 and older, ranked by number of reports.
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201,266 reports
from people 60 and older in 2025, across every category the FBI tracks. Up 37% on the year before.
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$7.7 billion
reported lost by people 60 and older in 2025. Up 59% on the year before.
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$38,500
the average loss for a person 60 or older who reported losing money in 2025.
These are the reports that get filed. The real numbers are almost certainly higher, because many scams are never reported. None of this is here to scare you. It’s here so you know where to look first. The book walks through each one, plainly, with what to do about it.
What you’ll walk away with
You’ll have
- A short list of things to check and fix, not a technology course
- Settings you’ve actually turned on, on the accounts that matter most
- Knowing exactly where to look, instead of guessing
Why it matters
- Lower the chance of a hacked account or a stolen password
- Less second-guessing every message that lands in your inbox
- Staying digitally connected to family, instead of retreating from it
Coming in every format
Planned launch pricing, the same as every book in the Stay Safe Series. Nothing is on sale yet. Join the list below and you’ll have first access.
- eBook $9.99
- Audiobook $14.99
- Paperback $19.99
- Multi-Media Pack $24.99
Prices may change before launch. A companion checklist is planned for every format.
Coming soon
Be the first to know
Stay Safe Online is in active development. Leave your email and we’ll let you know the moment it’s ready, in every format, at launch pricing. You’ll also get our free one-page Fall-Risk Checklist today.
What you get
- One email the day Stay Safe Online is ready
- The free one-page Fall-Risk Checklist today
- No cost, and no need to buy anything
No spam. One email when the book launches, plus the checklist and occasional series news. Unsubscribe any time. See our Privacy Policy.
Every fact, checked and sourced
Every statistic and every “this works” statement in this book is checked against a credible, named source: government health and safety agencies, peer-reviewed research, and recognized aging organizations. The book ends with a Fact References chapter that lists the full citation for every figure. You don’t have to take our word for it. You can look it up. If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so.
Selected citations from this book
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Multifactor Authentication. cisa.gov/topics/cybersecurity-best-practices/multifactor-authentication
- Federal Trade Commission. How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams. consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-avoid-phishing-scams
- Federal Trade Commission. How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams. consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-tech-support-scams
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks. cisa.gov/news-events/news/avoiding-social-engineering-and-phishing-attacks
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (2026). 2025 Internet Crime Report. ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2025_IC3Report.pdf
The book’s Fact References chapter lists every source in full.
Questions people ask
When will Stay Safe Online launch?
It’s in development now. We don’t announce dates until the book is final. Join the list above and you’ll hear the moment it’s live.
Do I need to be tech-savvy to use this book?
No. It’s written the way Ed explains things at his local computer club: plain language, one step at a time, no assumed knowledge.
Does this cover password managers?
Yes. It walks through the main kinds in plain English, including the ones built into most phones and computers. Any product named is an example, not a recommendation.
What about passkeys? I keep hearing about them.
Covered too: what they are, where they help, and why many people find them easier than typing a password.
Will it help me protect my phone specifically?
Yes. A full chapter covers locking down your phone or tablet, from the screen lock to what to do if it’s lost.
How is this different from Book 3, Stay Safe From Scams?
Book 3 is about people who contact you: callers, letters, and knocks at the door. Book 4 is about the technology itself: accounts, devices, Wi-Fi, and attacks that happen without anyone speaking to you. Some scams cross both, such as romance and tech-support scams. Both books cover those fully.
This book shares general safety information. It isn’t medical, legal, or financial advice. For advice about your own situation, talk with a qualified professional.
While you wait
Two books in the series are ready now, and every book stands on its own.
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Stay Safe in Any Emergency
Medical alerts, fall detection, and phone SOS settings, explained plainly.
Start with Book 1 -
Stay Safe at Home
A room-by-room guide to common hazards, with practical fixes.
Go to Book 2 -
Free Fall-Risk Checklist
One page, about a cup of tea’s worth of time, and a good way to start a conversation.
Get the Free Checklist