As Windows announced the stop of support towards the Windows 7 (Loved by many), here are a couple of simple security tips everyone heading into or already using Windows 10 should be aware of and possibly implement.
1- Create a savepoint
The first thing you should do with a new Windows 10 machine is to enable a system restore. Think of it like a save point for your machine when things go south.
1. Go to the Windows Cortana search box and type system restore.
2. Select the Control Panel and click Create a restore point.
3. When the System Properties dialogue box appears, click the System Protection tab.
4. Select the drive you’ve got Windows installed on. For most people, this is going to be the C drive.
5. Click Configure.
6. Click Turn on system protection, then click OK.
From here on out, you can always come back to the System Properties box and click System Restore to bring your machine back to this moment in time.
2- Kill the bloatware
One of the most important facts about getting a new Windows machine is that it’s never really knew. Even if your hands are the first to pull it out of its shiny box, both Microsoft and the manufacturer have already installed some software that will sit unused in your computer, taking up valuable memory space. Let’s kill those programs, if we do not need them.
1. Go to Start, then to Settings, then to Apps.
2. You should be looking at a list of all of your installed apps under your Apps & Features section. A right-click on any of them should present you with the option to uninstall them.
3- Locals only
The issue of logging into windows with your Microsoft Account details, which will eventually sync all settings and changes to all devices with the same Login and Logging In with a Local Passcode remains a matter of preference. But if you want to login Locally, this is what you do.
1. Save any work currently open, then close the program you’re using.
2. Go to Start, then Settings.
3. Click Accounts, then click Your email and accounts on the left-side column.
4. Click the link that says Sign in with a local account instead.
5. When the prompt appears, type the password you currently use to log into your Microsoft account (the same password you currently use to unlock your laptop), and click Next.
6. A new prompt will ask you to create a username, password and password hint. Once you’ve entered the text, click Next.
7. Click Sign out and finish.
This will bring you back to the machine’s login screen, where you can enter your new password to log back in. At which point, you’ll likely also notice a much faster login.
4- Shut down Stalker-ware
Windows 10 automatically tracks your location and monitors your behaviour in order to sell advertising. Here is how to stop them if you want to.
1. Go to Start, then Settings.
2. Click Privacy, the icon that looks like a padlock.
3. Click Location, then click the On switch to turn location tracking off.
4. To disable ad tracking:
5. Go back to the Privacy screen you were just at.
6. Turn off the setting for Let apps use advertising ID to make ads more interesting to you based on your app activity.
5- Enable your firewall and antivirus
If you’ve used Windows for a while now, you’re familiar with the Windows Defender Security Center. It’s a good first step toward monitoring the overall health of your computer, but it’s not going to be enough. One other layer of security is already built into Windows 10, and you should take advantage of it by enabling firewall and antivirus protection. Here’s how:
1. Go back to your Control Panel, then to System and Security.
2. Click Windows Defender Firewall, then click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off in the sidebar.
3. Click the button that says Turn on Windows Defender Firewall under both the public network and private network settings.
4. Tick the box that says Notify me when Windows Defender Firewall blocks a new app.
Source: MicroTek
