Archives - Security Settings


Use fake answers for security questions

Many account recovery features include answering security questions such as your father’s middle name or the city you grew up in. But you don’t necessarily have to use real answers, which would make someone trying to break into your account unable to even if they knew such information. If you want to say your father’s […]

Be careful what permissions you do give to apps because many are optional

Most of the time, an app doesn’t really need to know your location. It’s usually just for the sake of convenience so you don’t have to plug in your address manually. Still, it’s more secure to only give location access to apps that need it, so only give permissions to apps that you’re comfortable with […]

Be careful of the permissions you give to apps

Be wary of app permissions that don’t seem appropriate. If an app wants access to the information in your email accounts, for example, it may be trying to steal personal data. It can be tricky to know for sure if an app permission request is legitimate or not, so err on the side of caution […]

Change user account control settings in Windows

Ostensibly, user account control (UAC) is a feature automatically enabled in Windows that is designed to protect your system from any unwanted changes by notifying you every time an application or service wants to alter your system. In theory, this might sound helpful, but in practice, it’s not very useful due to the sheer number […]

Make sure your Windows Firewall autostarts

Even basic cyber protection should boot up as soon as your computer does. To toggle automatic launch in Windows settings, remember to: Go to the Services management console. Scroll and double click Windows Firewall. Check the Windows Firewall Properties box. Set startup type to Automatic and click Stop, then Start and Okay.

Turn off auto-fill

While auto-fill is a very useful feature for reducing the laboriousness of entering your personal information every time you order or book online, it also opens up your personal information for exploitation if your account is compromised, or if your device is stolen. While it might be a little more tedious to have to input […]