See Our Easy Start Guide for the Consumer Reports Security Planner

Here’s how to get the best results from the Consumer Reports Security Planner.

Here’s the best advice we have about the amazing and invaluable Consumer Reports Security Planner: 

• Do not jump into it without reading this preview first.
• Read the Easy Start Guide below.

We discovered a new resource from Consumer Reports that’s designed help you stay safe online.

If you were to go there, right off the bat, they’ll ask you a series of questions. Here’s just a few:

• Are you a reporter or government worker who’s worried about surveillance?
• Have you been hacked?
• Are your worried that your Smart network home might be hacked.
• Do you worry about ransomware?

They want you to think about it ahead of time. They actually have three different “prompts” (questions) with lots more choices/questions.

The CR Security Planner. How to get the most out of it.

This is where you have to know how best to answer, and how best to use the CR Security Planner. It’s not that we think it’s the CR Planner isn’t great. It’s an amazing tool. It’s just that, we know the better you’re prepared to use it, the better your results!

Easy Start Guide.

Created by WhatIsMyIPAddress.com.

The CR Security Planner covers a lot of ground, so follow this Easy Start Guide to “test drive” it before really jumping in. Here’s why. It will save you time and simplify things.

The CR Security Planner main page poses three questions to get started.

Here’s what you should you do the very first time.  

• They ask, “Which of the following Devices do you use?” *

Choose only one from choices, then click NEXT.

• Next they ask, “What do you want to do?”

Select only one from the choices, then click NEXT.

• Finally, they ask: “Are any of these statements true?”

Pic only one of the statements, then click GET RESULTS.

* Do you want to see the complete list of choices? See below.

What Are the Results You’ll Get?

You’re going to see/get a dozen or more different pages. Each page offers its own with tips, advice, information…and even more links to more resources. (Imagine how much information you’d get if you made more choices!)

Once you see how it works, you’ll know how to manage the search/results process.

A great resource for addressing real-life online problems.

Consumer Reports want to help people in trouble online, and to help them stay out trouble online. The CR Security Planner is actually an extensive library of solution-focused content, on real world topics. Consumer Reports did the hard part for you. They’ve come up with the most common and largest security issues we face.

• You have a specific problem; they have solutions.
• You have concerns; they have advice
• You have questions; they have answers.

What you get is information in the form of very helpful, easy to read, to-the-point articles with advice and guidance, and a plan of action…your next steps.

Why we’re offering this advice.

After exploring the CR Security Planner, ourselves, we’ve learned the best way to use it and know what to expect.  We put together the Easy Start Guide for a few reasons:

• We don’t want it to overwhelm you.
• They have a lot of great information to share with you and that you’ll have access to.
• It helps to know how they structured it.
• Their process is interesting and knowing how to proceed will benefit you.
• It helps to know what you’re looking for or to have specific questions.
• They do have some prompts that focus on specific issues.
• It’s smart! The Security Planner allows you to profile yourself and address many topics. One step at a time works best.

How we discovered the Consumer Reports Security Planner.

We came across this great resource when we interviewed Amira Dhalla from Consumer Reports. She told us about it on the Easy Prey podcast. (Chris Parker, CEO of WhatIsMyIPAddress.com is host of the podcast.

Amira is the Director of Impact Partnerships and Programs at Consumer Reports focusing on digital privacy and security. On the podcast, she covered a variety of topics and let the listening audience know about the free Security Planner offered by Consumer Reports.

In case you’re wondering: the complete questions CR Planner asks.

Here’s the actual choices to the three questions the CR Security Planner poses:

Which of the following Devices do you use to prevent identity theft?

• IPhone or iPad
• Android or tablet
• Mac computer
• Windows computer
• Smart TV streaming device
• Smart speaker
• Security camera                 
• Baby monitor
• Smartwatch fitness tracker
• Gaming console

“What do you want to do?”

• Protect yourself from ransomware, viruses and malware
• Protect my data if my devices are stolen
• Communicate privately
• Keep people from seeing my screen
• Privately access sensitive online resources
• Protect my financial information
• Avoid phishing scams
• Protect myself from online harassment and stalking
• Use my device on public WiFi
• Prevent tech companies from collecting my data
• Something else

“Finally, are any of these statements true?”

• I want to learn about shielding my identity
• My account has been hacked
• I am a victim of identity theft
• I’m concerned about harassment or online stalking
• I’m worried about governments or law enforcement accessing my data
• I face additional risk because of who I am or what I do
• I am dealing with an urgent digital security issue
• None

As you can see and probably realize, if you click on too many of these prompts, you could easily be overwhelmed with too much information. Still, we suggest you explore it.

By the way, we have a security tool ourselves, that’s simple, smart and free.

The Safepath 5-Step Challenge.

We invite you to check out our very own program that will help you boost your online security in five easy free steps. It’s called the Safepath 5-Step Challenge and you can find out more here.

Part of our goal at WhatIsMyIPAddress.com is to help our website visitors manage their IP address visibility to the world. We also cover a range of topics to help you protect your computer, finances, identity and family.