Windows 11 Security Tips, Keeping You Safe

Anti Virus Tips

1. It is important to run periodic scans for malware on your workstation. This can be done by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection. These processes are ones that would automatically run in the background. If you would like to check them this can be done by going to Virus & Threat Protection and clicking on Scan Options to run different types of scans on your machine.
2. A quick scan is recommended for your scheduled scans which looks at locations where malware could hide which in turn would affect the booting of your device. A full scan can also be run but this will take a lot longer as this carries out a deep scan of the device including archived files, network drives and more.
3. To ensure your computer is protected at all times it is important to toggle Real Time Protection which can be found in the Virus & Threat Protection settings menu. This will ensure that any malware that might be found on your device is stopped and prevented from being installed on your machine.
4. One’s device should automatically download the latest intelligence to keep you protected. You can also manually check for updates by going to Virus & Protection Settings > Protection Updates.
5. You can also protect yourself against ransomware by enabling ransomware protection. This can be done by going to Virus & Protection Settings > Ransomware Protection. When you switch it on this will in turn allow controlled folder access.
6. If there is a file which you know is 100% safe but gets flagged as a false positive, you can flag a file as a false positive by going to Virus& Protection Settings > Allowed Threats.
7. Windows Defender is already a part of Windows 11.

Sign In Tips

1. There are different ways to sign in depending on what you are using your pc for. These sign in options can be set by going to Settings > Accounts > Sign In Options where you can choose different sign in methods.
2. It is important that if you need to step away from your pc it is important that you keep it locked. This can be set in Settings > Accounts > Sign In Options. Under Additional Settings you can enable dynamic locking your device automatically.
3. If there are multiple people using the same machine, multiple Microsoft accounts can sign in. To add another account go to Settings > Accounts > Family & Other Users, and then click Add other User > Add Account.
4. If you use your machine in a public location, it makes sense to add a password to your account. To set this password go to Accounts > Password. A strong password should have a mix of Small and Big Letters, Numbers, and Symbols and should not be easy to guess.

Activity & Permission Tips

1. You can check to see what devices are linked to ones account, and to make sure no unauthorized devices appear. One can navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Find My Device and select the option to see all devices.
2. By default your machine will store your activity history, such as web sites you browse and how you use apps and services. This can be stopped by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Activity History.
3. Windows search uses web and a variety of apps to give you relevant search results on your device. You can filter out certain content by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Search Permissions. Safe search here can by set to Strict, Moderate, or Off.
4. Various apps might require permissions to access information to access your location, camera, microphone, etc. To manage these permissions you can go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App Permissions. This is where these can be toggled on or off.
5. If there is a concern that your laptop or tablet might get lost, you can save the device’s location to be able to find it again. To enable this, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Find My Device to enable or disable this functionality.
6. If you do not want to see any personalized apps or to allow Windows to access your data, you can turn off this option by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > General.