Family members often share electronics and accounts. Here are a few tips to make sure your family’s data is protected when you’re sharing devices. Note: you should never let others use your work-provided device.
- Separate Accounts. Create separate password-protected accounts for each family member. Only one administrator account should have full privileges; all other accounts should have limited permission and should only be able to access their files.
- Antivirus Protection. Download and install antivirus protection software. Any time a family member opens a file they’ve downloaded, the software will scan it and make sure it is safe.
- Parental Controls. Turn on parental controls to block outgoing content and filter out websites that frequently drop malicious tools.
In addition, have a family discussion about computer security and encourage everyone to follow these safe practices:
- Avoid public Wi-Fi. If necessary, use personal hotspots or a VPN provider to encrypt your web connection.
- Avoid surfing websites that you don’t already know. Browsers are quickly becoming one of the larger vulnerabilities in computing, so try to stick with websites you trust.
- Only download files legally. Downloading files — including games, images, movies, music, etc. — from peer-to-peer networks can be harmful to your machine since these downloaded files are sometimes riddled with viruses and spyware.
Don’t talk to strangers. Phishing attempts are all too common and may arise in the form of questions from strangers or contacts requesting personal information. Look for “teachable moments.” If you receive a phishing message, or see a scam, show it to your family members and explain how you recognized it as a scam.
