What if I told you that there is ONE SIMPLE THING you can do to improve your computer security, make your PC less prone to viruses, exploits, malware and hackers? This tip works for home users, businesses and offices for all their Windows laptops and desktops.
When setting up a new computer, this more secure configuration is easy and quick. (start rant) But for incomprehensible reasons, Microsoft does not make this configuration the default on Windows computers. (end rant)
OK, so what’s this easy step for making your computer more secure?
On Windows systems, an administrator account has unrestricted access to everything on the computer. An administrator account can modify settings, install software and services, schedule tasks and change any file on the system. And any program running under an administrator account can do all this too.
A program with admin access could install a nasty virus, keylogger or other malicious program, all without your knowledge.
Unfortunately, when you first set up your computer, courtesy of Microsoft, your default day-to-day account will have this powerful, yet dangerous admin access.
Use a non-admin account
For day-to-day use, running under a limited (non-admin) account will make your computing more secure. And any time you need to make a change to a protected system setting, you’ll be prompted to enter a password for your admin account.
There are plenty of tutorials online that will show you how to set up your computer with a limited, non-admin account. If you already have your system and account set up, it might be a little more work to make the change.
Note that you need at least one admin account on the system! But for your day to day work, a limited account is best.
Takeaway
Running under a limited account helps prevent accidental changes to your PC, and also helps prevent installation of malware and viruses. While running under a limited account won’t solve every problem, this configuration is an important layer of defense for running a secure system.
For more tips like this, get a free cybersecurity consultation with us. Call or email ComputerKick today!
