Enable these helpful Windows features for greater protection
- Protecting your system from unauthorized access starts with a strong password .
- Use the lock feature (Windows key+L) when you leave your workstation.
- In Windows 10, you can also enable alternative sign-in options. Find them in Settings by searching for “Sign-in options.” For example, you can use a specific finger or mouse gesture on a photo (great for devices with touch functionality), or use a PIN.
- The system is configured for automatic system updates. You should keep this setting. Search for “Update/Recovery” to access the options in Settings. There, you can check whether automatic updates are enabled and whether your system is up to date. After downloading and installing updates, the system waits to restart at a convenient time. This helps prevent interruptions while you work. For security-critical updates that are marked as such, it is best to install them right away to protect your system.
- Keep your Apps up to date as well. The update mechanism for Apps you obtained from the Windows Store works independently of system updates. Open the Windows Store and click the three dots to access the menu. Under “Downloads and updates,” check whether your Apps are up to date. You can also check there whether automatic updating is enabled.
- Microsoft has integrated a full-featured antivirus scanner with Defender. It does not rely solely on so-called signatures, which must be kept up to date. An integrated mechanism attempts to automatically identify suspicious data. Defender runs and starts automatically. If this is not the case, Windows regularly alerts the user. To get the best protection, it is advisable to enable automatic detection. Current versions of Windows now include their own antivirus scanner. However, security products available on the market offer more comprehensive protection.
- It is also advisable to use the “SmartScreen Filter,” whose options you can quickly access in Windows Settings by entering the search term. This filter for the built-in browser analyzes websites and warns you before you visit sites that have previously drawn negative attention for distributing malware.
- Be sure to enable the built-in “Firewall” as well. If the firewall displays a warning, take it seriously and check which program is involved. Automatic application updates can sometimes trigger a false alarm, too. You may then allow an exception—but only if you know the software in question and have launched it yourself.
Enjoy more privacy
Many features that make everyday life more convenient work only when data is also sent through the cloud to centralized systems run by operating system manufacturers. Microsoft is no exception. But not everyone is comfortable with the idea that their system's manufacturer always knows, for example, where they are. Speech recognition also works only when the microphone is always on and listening. If you are concerned that a third party could intercept your personal data, or if you generally prefer to keep this information to yourself, take a closer look at Windows settings.
In current versions of Windows 10, you can find these settings under „Privacy“ in „Settings“. You can also use the system's built-in search feature to go directly to individual sections, for example by entering „Location“ or „Speech Recognition“.
- If you do not use Windows on a mobile device, you do not really need to share your location. For example, you can still get weather reports for your area when this feature is turned off. You will need to enter your location manually.
- If you do not plan to control your computer by voice or use the dictation feature, turn off voice control.
- Under "Diagnosis and Feedback," Microsoft has grouped together a range of features that all have one thing in common: they send data about how you use your computer to Microsoft. If privacy is especially important to you, enable only "Simple" diagnostic data and leave all other options turned off.
- Microsoft assigns each Windows user an advertising ID that, for example, logs activity in the Windows Store. The information gathered this way is also used to display targeted ads. You can turn off use of the advertising ID under "General" in Privacy settings. Microsoft promises that once you disable this option, the ID will also be fully reset.
