1Password’s back-to-school tips for the digital world

It happened again. We blinked, and suddenly summer’s over and it’s time to register for classes. The horror! While the start of a new school year has always been a stressful time for parents and students, the growing number of accounts, apps, and devices students have been responsible for in recent years has made it even more complicated. To help manage the stress, 1Password is sharing our favorite back-to-school security tips for parents and students of all ages, so you can start the 2026 school year secure and organized. School security 101: From AI to user IDs With more AI tools emerging every day, it can be difficult to track which ones are trustworthy. AI tools and agents need access to a lot of data in order to function; AI adopters, and concerned parents, should take care about what data is being shared with the AI. It’s worth learning what AI-based tools your kids are using, and educating them about what kinds of information they should never share with a chatbot. That includes sensitive personal information, but it also includes things like passwords, which no AI user should paste directly into a chat window just because a helpful-seeming agent asked for them. Tools like 1Password for Claude offer a safe way for the AI power users in your family to experiment with agents. For any parents, whether your kids are entering elementary school or going off to college for the first time, they can benefit from a talk about AI tools and online safety. You don’t have to scare your kids away from technology, nor should you try to control everything they do online. Instead, set them up for success with knowledge and preparation. 💡Heading to college or university? Check out our blog, A college student's guide to better digital security. Make strong passwords a habit now Despite the perception that young people today are tech-savvy, that doesn’t mean they’re secure. With apps for school, home, and socializing, the average student is creating more accounts than they can possibly remember the passwords to. More likely, they reuse the same password for multiple accounts, a habit that’s easy to fall into and hard to quit. Our 2025 survey found that younger generations were actually more likely to fall victim to phishing scams; 70% of Gen Z and 67% of Millennials reported having been phished, compared to 57% of Gen X and 46% of Boomers. Beyond that, we found that 76% of Americans who have been victims of shopping scams still reuse passwords, making it easier for scammers to access their other accounts. Using a password manager ensures every account has a strong, unique password that students don’t have to remember, so it’s an easy way to start the school year strong. If you use a password manager with a family account option like 1Password Families, you can grant your kids access to the passwords they need while ensuring that all the information remains encrypted and secure. You can also use a password manager to set up passkeys and two-factor authentication (2FA), which provides an additional layer of security against phishing attacks or other breaches. 💡Check out our blog, Back-to-school tips: A step-by-step guide to getting your family started with 1Password, for in-depth instructions on setting up 1Password for Families. Keep an eye out for back-to-school scams Scams can occur at any time, but the back-to-school season presents cybercriminals with an opportunity to exploit the needs of overwhelmed parents and unsuspecting students during back-to-school shopping. Some examples include: Phishing: Criminals may send emails posing as an educational institution, asking you to log in to a fake site to steal credentials, or they can use social media to promote fake school shopping deals, leading you to fraudulent websites. Avoid clicking any suspicious links and stay away from any unsolicited deals and offers unless you are sure of their legitimacy. A password manager can also act as an extra layer of security; 1Password has built-in phishing protection that warns you before you paste your password into an unknown site. Loan scams: Criminals may pose as loan providers or government agencies offering loan forgiveness, grants, or even scholarships that do not exist. They may try to pressure you into making immediate payments over the phone or try to get your personal information online. If you are interested in an offer, take a moment to research the institution and reach out to them directly via phone or email to confirm your options. Ultimately, try to stay skeptical. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Start building healthy online security habits Good digital hygiene starts with the basics. Simple habits can help protect you and your family every day, in and outside of school. Along with strong passwords, you can also start building other online security habits and teaching them to your children or older family members. For instance: New device setup: Whenever you or a family member g

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