The Mel Robbins Podcast

#1 Cybersecurity Expert Reveals: 5 Ways to Protect Yourself Online (Starting Tonight)

February 19, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Your seemingly harmless online habits, like ignoring updates or accepting all cookies, create an easy target for scammers by expanding your digital footprint. 
  • Incognito mode only prevents your local computer from saving browsing history and cookies; websites can still track your activity. 
  • Never answer unknown phone calls or leave a voice greeting on your voicemail, as your voice can be recorded and used for sophisticated voice cloning scams. 
  • If you are a victim of an internet crime, you can report it for free to the FBI's Internet Crimes Complaint Center at ic3.gov. 
  • To prevent immediate tracking if your phone is lost or stolen, disable the ability to turn on Airplane Mode from the lock screen's swipe-down control center. 
  • The five essential moves to protect yourself online are: securing key accounts with strong, unique passwords (and using multi-factor authentication), enabling automatic software updates, freezing your credit, pausing for nine seconds before clicking any link, and actively limiting the amount of personal data shared online via apps and data broker sites. 

Segments

Digital Footprint Definition
Copied to clipboard!
(00:09:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Your digital footprint encompasses every action taken online, including apps used, games played, and websites visited.
  • Summary: Cybersecurity involves protecting your digital footprint, which is built from every single thing you do online. Every app, game, and website visit contributes to this growing footprint. This data is recorded in some way, shape, or form.
Incognito Mode Misconception
Copied to clipboard!
(00:10:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Incognito mode only prevents your local computer from saving cookies, tags, and pixels; the website you visit can still see your activity.
  • Summary: Incognito mode is private only for the user on their own device, meaning it does not hide activity from the website being visited. The function is to stop the computer from saving tracking elements like cookies and pixels. The website can technically still see who is accessing it.
Online Identity Protection
Copied to clipboard!
(00:11:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Avoid providing your real birthday or phone number online unless absolutely necessary for shipping, using alternate personas to limit data exposure.
  • Summary: Sharing real identity details online creates profiles that are sold to more people, increasing risk; for non-shipping accounts, use an alternate persona with a fake name and date of birth. A Google Voice number can be used as a forwarding number for required phone inputs. Packages can be delivered to your house under an alternate name.
Vacation Posting Risks
Copied to clipboard!
(00:14:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Posting vacation photos while traveling exposes you to social engineering scams, as scammers can use your known location and timing to impersonate you.
  • Summary: Posting vacation details publicly allows scammers to use Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to gather specific information, such as hotel locations. Scammers may use this timing knowledge to execute convincing scam calls, knowing you are unreachable while traveling. Post vacation details, tagging only the city rather than specific locations like hotels.
Free Wi-Fi Dangers
Copied to clipboard!
(00:16:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Unencrypted public Wi-Fi creates an open tunnel where data transmissions can be intercepted by anyone knowledgeable enough to access the network.
  • Summary: If a product or app is free, you are the product, as your data is being used or sold. Unencrypted Wi-Fi means data flies through an open tunnel, allowing others to see activity if they know how to look. Always check for ‘HTTPS’ (the ‘S’ means secure) on websites, and use tethering or a VPN over public Wi-Fi for sensitive tasks like banking.
Saving Passwords Risks
Copied to clipboard!
(00:22:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Saving logins in unlocked phone notes is riskier than saving them in a browser because iCloud hacks can expose all notes if the main password is reused.
  • Summary: If your iCloud is hacked, all passwords stored in unlocked notes become compromised, especially if you reuse passwords across services. iPhone notes can be secured with a separate password or Face ID for better protection. Dedicated password managers like LastPass or 1Password are recommended over browser storage.
Security Question Vulnerability
Copied to clipboard!
(00:24:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Security questions like mother’s maiden name are easily answered because personal details about family members are often publicly accessible via OSINT.
  • Summary: Information about parents, siblings, and even IP addresses is often public knowledge, making security questions easily guessable by researchers using AI tools. Scammers can scrape social media, wedding registries, and public posts to piece together personal data in seconds. Create an alternate persona with consistent, non-public answers for security questions.
Software Update Purpose
Copied to clipboard!
(00:27:08)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary reason for most software updates is to patch security vulnerabilities or flaws that hackers have discovered.
  • Summary: Software updates are crucial because they patch holes or vulnerabilities that hackers have found in the existing code. While updates can improve functionality, a significant portion addresses security flaws. Enabling auto-updates ensures you are protected against known weaknesses.
Juice Jacking Warning
Copied to clipboard!
(00:28:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Never use public USB charging ports (like those in hotels) to charge your phone, as this can lead to ‘juice jacking’ where data is sent or malware installed.
  • Summary: When you select ‘Trust This Device’ on a public USB charger, the port can send and receive files, which spies or hackers can manipulate. This allows them to download information or install bugs onto your phone. Plug devices directly into a wall outlet instead of using the USB port.
Venmo Scam Mechanics
Copied to clipboard!
(00:43:22)
  • Key Takeaway: The common Venmo scam involves scammers sending money from a stolen card, asking you to return it, and then the original stolen charge is reversed, leaving you out the money you willingly sent back.
  • Summary: Scammers send money via Venmo using stolen credit cards and then claim it was sent to the wrong person, pressuring the recipient to send the funds back. Because the initial transfer came from a stolen card, that charge is reversed by the bank. However, the money you willingly sent back to the scammer is not reversed, resulting in a loss for you.
Data Breach Response
Copied to clipboard!
(00:45:06)
  • Key Takeaway: After a major retailer data breach, immediately update passwords for that account and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), especially for financial accounts.
  • Summary: If a data breach occurs, update your password immediately and activate MFA, preferably using an authenticator app over SMS codes. Sign up for any free credit monitoring offered by the breached entity to track identity theft risks. Freezing your credit prevents identity theft by blocking new accounts from being opened in your name.
Protecting Parents/Seniors
Copied to clipboard!
(00:47:01)
  • Key Takeaway: To protect elderly relatives, freeze their credit, establish a family safe word for voice scams, and ensure their critical financial accounts have unique, strong passwords with MFA directed to a trusted caretaker’s phone.
  • Summary: Freeze the credit of elderly relatives to prevent identity theft from compromised data. Establish a secret ‘safe word’ that only family members know to verify identity during potential voice cloning scams. For critical accounts like banks, set up MFA codes to be sent to a trusted caretaker’s phone for immediate verification if suspicious activity occurs.
Protecting Children Online
Copied to clipboard!
(00:48:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Parents must ensure children’s social media accounts are set to private, block direct messaging, and maintain open communication about online interactions, especially regarding photo sharing.
  • Summary: Set children’s social media accounts (like Instagram) to private mode, only allowing connections with people they have met in person. Block direct messaging features on platforms like Roblox to prevent contact from potential groomers. Nothing online truly disappears; warn children that screenshots can be taken, preventing them from sharing private photos.
Extortion and FBI Reporting
Copied to clipboard!
(00:51:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Scammers use leaked private photos for extortion or to solicit more compromising material for future scams.
  • Summary: Scammers target individuals, often boys, with threats to leak private photos to extort money or demand more content. If targeted, victims can report the internet crime to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3) via ic3.gov.
Phone Loss Immediate Action
Copied to clipboard!
(00:56:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The first step upon losing a phone should be preventing thieves from immediately enabling Airplane Mode to block tracking.
  • Summary: Before losing a phone, users should remove the quick-access Airplane Mode toggle from the lock screen’s control center. This forces a thief to turn the phone off entirely, rather than immediately disabling tracking capabilities. The most popular unlock code remains 12345, highlighting the need for strong device security.
Wearables and Privacy Policies
Copied to clipboard!
(00:58:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Users should leverage AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to summarize complex, lawyer-written privacy policies to understand data collection risks.
  • Summary: Wearable technology collects highly personal data (fertility, sleep, stress), and users must weigh this risk against the benefits. Privacy policies detail what data is collected, why, and who it is shared with. Throwing these legal documents into an AI tool can quickly reveal high-level issues like sharing sensitive biometric data with third parties.
App Permissions Audit
Copied to clipboard!
(01:03:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Social media apps like Instagram are actively scanning entire camera rolls in the background to generate content ideas for users.
  • Summary: Listeners must audit app settings, specifically checking access to the camera, microphone, and location, setting permissions to ‘Only while using the app’ or ‘Never’ if not needed. Social media platforms are using access to the camera roll to suggest reels, necessitating limiting access to only the photo being uploaded.
Biometric Data Security Concerns
Copied to clipboard!
(01:06:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Biometric data (face, fingerprint) is uniquely identifiable and unchangeable, posing a high risk if compromised from sources like airport security systems.
  • Summary: Facial recognition and biometric scanning are increasingly common in airports and for purchases, but this data is unchangeable if hacked. Some specialized glasses can shield the eyes from infrared surveillance technology used in scanning. Whether to use biometric login for convenience versus the risk of permanent data exposure is a personal risk-based decision.
Camera Hacking Risks
Copied to clipboard!
(01:10:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Laptops, doorbell cameras, and baby monitors are vulnerable to hacking, often through reused passwords or unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
  • Summary: Hackers can access unsecured cameras by reusing passwords leaked from other breaches or by connecting to the same open Wi-Fi network. This allows unauthorized viewing or even speaking through devices like baby monitors. Covering laptop cameras with a physical cover is a simple, effective defense against remote access.
Sophisticated Impersonation Scams
Copied to clipboard!
(01:13:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Scammers are updating their tactics to mimic legitimate company policies, such as claiming they never charge guests to appear on the podcast.
  • Summary: Scammers are selling counterfeit versions of Mel Robbins’ book and impersonating company employees to solicit contact. They now preemptively address known scam warnings, claiming they never require payment to be featured on The Mel Robbins Podcast. Listeners should never click on scheduling links in suspicious emails; instead, they should call the verified contact directly.
Five Essential Online Protections
Copied to clipboard!
(01:16:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The five most critical actions for online protection involve securing passwords, updating software automatically, freezing credit, practicing link vigilance, and minimizing data footprint.
  • Summary: The first priority is identifying key accounts and ensuring they have strong, unique passwords, ideally managed by a password manager or securely written down. Second, enable automatic software updates to patch security vulnerabilities exploited by hackers. Third, freeze your credit to prevent identity theft from opening new lines of credit.
Data Deletion Services
Copied to clipboard!
(01:19:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Services like Incogni can automatically send opt-out requests to data brokers to scrub personal information like old addresses from the internet.
  • Summary: Once data is online, it can be difficult to remove, but services exist to automate this deletion process. Manually, users can search sites like White Pages or True People Search and use their privacy policy opt-out pages to request removal. This process, while tedious, helps limit the personal information available to scammers.