9 October 2018

Cyber Security Quick Tip #2 – Screen Lock

Today’s tip is a simple, yet important one.

Don’t make it easy for someone to get access to your machine when you walk away from it.  You don’t want to inadvertently reveal sensitive data from files you are currently have open on-screen. Always remember to lock your screen before you walk away. The shortcut for this is to press the Windows key + L.

In case your forget to lock your screen; set up a Screen Saver. If your screen is inactive for a period of time it will auto-lock and prompt for your user logon credentials when you return.

The same advice applies for mobile devices – Enable a pin lock or swipe pattern. This will ensure that no one can access your device without the code / pattern. On iPhones, the process of enabling a pin-lock also encrypts the device which is something you will also want to have enabled.

Disclaimer!: It should be noted that Windows passwords can be cracked by anyone with the know-how and time in front of the physical machine. Windows passwords are a useful way of keeping prying eyes away from files but for deeper security you should consider encryption: Stay tuned for future articles on encryption.

For advice on website logins using passwords take a look at my recent article – Passwords aren’t enough anymore.