Windows is made up of many different parts, and you’d be forgiven if you didn’t explore every menu and dialog box in Microsoft’s vast desktop operating system. However, it’s important to understand the options available to you, especially when it comes to privacy and security.
From controlling what programs are allowed to do on your system to making sure others can’t access your Windows account, there’s a lot to cover here. It’s well worth taking a few minutes to make sure your computer is locked the way you want it to be.
Protect your login information
You don’t want anyone sitting in front of your desktop or laptop browsing your programs and web browsing history, so make sure your Windows account is tightly locked down.Select from settings Account and Login options Set up your login method. Any type of biometric security is best.
nearby If you have left… title, select When the computer wakes up from sleep. This means that if you are away from your computer and someone tries to access it, they will see the lock screen instead of the desktop.You should also enable dynamic lockso Windows automatically locks when you “leave the keyboard.”
choose system, strengthThen Screens and sleep From Settings, you can change how long Windows waits before locking itself. Of course, you want this delay to be as short as possible, and you don’t want your PC to go to sleep every time you step away from your mouse and keyboard for five minutes to read something on the web.
Make sure the application is running properly
Go to Privacy and security From Settings, you’ll find a complete list of app permissions that control what programs on your system can and can’t do. Key takeaways include accessing your computer’s camera, microphone, and current location, but there’s more you need to know.
These permissions are audited to ensure apps only have access to the data they really need – for example, does a photo editor really need to see your contacts? You can control which programs have access to which permissions using the toggles on the right side of the screen.
There are also toggle switches that can completely turn off access to certain permissions, so for example, you can cut off file system access for every third-party application on Windows. A lot of this depends on your own judgment and how much you trust the developers of the software programs you install.
Limit Windows data collection
Open settings and select Privacy and security, you’ll find several options related to the data Windows collects about you and your activity. Under General, you can turn off targeted ads, app launch tracking (used to prioritize apps you run frequently on the Start menu), and more. There is also a helpful link included if you want to learn more about what these options do.
under Diagnosis and feedback, you can control the data Microsoft collects about how Windows is running (and otherwise). You can also manage some personalization features in the operating system, such as prompts for using Windows based on your previous activity. You can also delete all diagnostic data that Microsoft has collected to date.
superior Activity history screen, you can set whether to allow Windows to track what you are doing. Likewise, if you have questions about the data collected and how Microsoft uses it (one of the ways it’s used is to help you quickly get back to what you were doing before), a link is provided.Click clear history Tell Windows to forget everything you have done so far.
Keep your system secure
if you choose Privacy and security and then Windows Security In Settings, you can check integrated Windows security tools and any third-party security packages you have installed. It’s important to check here regularly to make sure everything is being monitored as it should be.
Windows security covers everything from virus attacks to browser vulnerabilities, and what you’d expect to see is a row of green checkmarks. If a problem occurs, you’ll be guided through the steps needed to fix or investigate the issue. Click any entry in the list for more information.
choose Turn on Windows Security Access the main dashboard. Here you can run virus scans, manage login options, configure the system firewall, and access detailed information about some of the basic technologies available in Windows to stop attacks, including Core Isolation and Secure Boot.