Holiday Safety Center
The holidays bring more packages on porches, more online shopping, more travel and more scam messages. Everything we have written for this season, in one place and in the order most people need it.
Holiday Safety Guide 2026
Our full checklist for protecting your home and your purchases through the holiday season.
Read the Holiday Safety GuideThe 10-minute holiday safety checklist
- Track your deliveries and bring packages inside soon after they arrive, or ask a neighbor to grab them.
- Use a different password for every shopping and email account, and turn on two-step login where it is offered.
- Treat unexpected delivery notices, gift-card requests and “problem with your order” messages as suspicious. Go to the store’s website directly instead of clicking the link.
- Before you travel, put a few lights on timers and ask a neighbor to watch your home. Wait until you are back to post trip photos.
- On public Wi-Fi, use a VPN or your phone’s hotspot for anything private.
- Check your bank and card statements every week through January, and keep your bank’s fraud phone number handy.
Guides by situation
Protect your packages and your home
Porch theft and break-ins rise when there are gifts and empty houses.
- New: How to Stop Package Theft (Mostly for Free)
- Home Security Checklist: 25 Things to Check Today
- 10 Things Burglars Look For Before Targeting a Home
- How to Protect Your Home While Traveling
- Best Home Security Cameras: What Features Matter
- Best Door Locks for Home Security
- Best Home Security Devices Worth Buying
Shop online without getting scammed
Fake order messages and stolen logins are the most common holiday problems.
Traveling for the holidays
Hotels, airports and public Wi-Fi all need a little planning.
Be ready if plans change
Winter storms and power cuts can turn a holiday at home into an emergency.
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