Like our house, I feel (cyber) safety and security begins at the front door - the devices I and my family use every day to access the internet via our home network. Our technological front doors consist of computers, tablets, and mobile phones. They need to be secure so our "doors" and our house (network) are not easily compromised by actors with malicious intent.
I secure our home computers (PC and laptop, both Windows 11) using different types of passwords, as follows:
BIOS Admin Password - Used to access and change BIOS firmware settings. The BIOS Admin Password prevents unauthorized access to the computer's BIOS utility, so BIOS settings cannot be viewed or changed unless the BIOS Admin Password is used. The BIOS has been configured to enable a Password on Boot feature.
BIOS User Password - Used to access (login to) the computer once it has booted ("Password on Boot"). The BIOS User Password cannot be used to access the BIOS, but instead secures the physical computer against unauthorized use.
Windows User Password - Used to login to a Windows local user account once the computer itself can be accessed (by using the BIOS User Password).
Windows Hello PIN - Used to unlock the computer after a manual lock (Win + L) or a screensaver lock.
VeraCrypt password - Used to access and change sensitive files on my PC. I installed and used VeraCrypt to create an encrypted volume (Windows file) that contains sensitive files with financial information, estate plan information, tax returns, etc. When VeraCrypt is not being used, the volume is just a Windows file (encrypted, AES, 256-bit key) stored in my User directory. Double-clicking the file does not open it. Launching VeraCrypt and entering the password mounts and decrypts the file and presents it as a Windows virtual disk containing folders and files, which I can then access and change as needed. When done, I use VeraCrypt to unmount the disk, which then re-encrypts all folders and files including those that were added or changed.
I know that Microsoft's BitLocker Drive Encryption provides full disk encryption, but I use Windows 11 Home and BitLocker is not available for this version of Windows 11. I do know that a separate feature called Device Encryption is available for Windows 11 Home, which is a limited version of BitLocker.
I routinely back up all my user files to an external USB drive. Currently, my backups include non-encrypted files (these do not contain sensitive information) and the VeraCrypt-encrypted file. The VeraCrypt-encrypted file on my backup drive is protected just like it is on my PC: double-clicking the file will not open it, so it is secure.
I have not enabled Device Encryption on my PC. I'm concerned (but do not know for certain) that if I encrypt my PC's drive using Device Encryption (and do not use VeraCrypt to separately encrypt my sensitive files), when I back up my files to the external drive all the files on the drive will be unencrypted, including those containing sensitive information. Therefore, I am not using Device Encryption but instead using VeraCrypt for my sensitive files.
Finally, both computers run antivirus software and are updated every Patch Tuesday. Our other devices (Android phone, iPad, and iPhone) are updated whenever updates are available.
Next: My Wi-Fi router
