Your own PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone should be treated as your home. Lock it off when you’re away. Otherwise, anyone can snoop around and check your possessions – or even steal them. That is exactly what happens when you don’t secure your personal device. Fortunately it is easy to secure equipment: use a login account on all your devices.
This is why you should use a login account:
- Anyone can access and copy sensitive personal information if you leave your device unattended. Examples include photographs, study results, papers and assessments.
- Computer criminals are interested in sensitive or personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, but also in your social security number or healthcare insurance number. They can gain control of your device and steal your data; this type of crime is increasingly lucrative.
- Computer criminals can install viruseswhen you’re working online. Even people who you would not expect to do such things can change or delete files, software and apps.
Create a standard and an admin account
You want to secure your smartphone, PC, laptop and tablet? Do it the right way. Create a standard account that you use to login for everyday use. Once logged in you can perform all your usual tasks, but nothing can be changed that modifies how your device operates. Removing software or apps, for example, will be impossible. Because that is only possible when you’re logged in as ‘administrator’. So also create an admin account. Log in to that for installing software or changing settings, for example.
How to create a login account?
This is different for every device. The information can usually be found in the help menu. Using Google, or asking a fellow student or colleague for help may also do the trick. Or contact Privacy and Security via privacy-en-security@nhlstenden.com.
Tip for extra security
A login account is a good start. But you’re not there yet. Encrypt your data storage for better security.