Table of contents for Spring 2026 in Windows User

The start of the digital age brought with it many advances in the way we work and interact with each other. It’s estimated there’s 1.2 Zettabytes (1.3 trillion gigabytes) of data available to someone with access to the Internet and whilst most of it may be irrelevant, what’s important to you is somewhere within that mass of raw information. Sadly, the cold hard light of day reveals that with the growth of this voluminous data comes the nefarious acts of those who wish to cause mayhem, panic, theft and other such negative elements. Therefore, as a user you need to make sure that you’re protected against the ever increasing digital world of threats, viruses and everything else the Internet has to offer. This chapter will help you to recognise some…

Social engineering is the new modern way of manipulating people to give up their personal and confidential information. It comes in many guises and under different sub-headings, such as Phishing and the like, but it’s essentially all a form of social engineering. Essentially, the scammer will take your human nature and responses and turn it against you for their own gain. The kind of information the scammer is after does vary, depending on the type of scam being used, but for the most part they’re usually after your passwords, bank and credit card details, or login information in order to gain any sort of financial data. You’re probably more familiar with social engineering that you suspect, even if you’re new to the term. Recall the emails from someone, usually based…

Understanding Security Trying to understand the digital security world can be hard work. There’s so much to take in, that it’s easy to become lost in the quagmire of acronyms and homophones. Hopefully we can help you out with these ten FAQs. “Do I need an antivirus program?” Without a doubt, yes. Windows uses the built-in Windows Defender program to help protect you online. It’s more than ample for most users but often better security is required. “Viruses and malware are only on dodgy sites, right?” No, sorry. Even legitimate websites can be infected with a virus or some other form of malware. Remember too, a computer virus can enter your system in other ways, not just online. “Is online banking safe?” Online banking is remarkably safe and utilises the…

Are You Secure? Remarkably, despite having an antivirus client installed, some users aren’t even aware of the default Windows security features. Here’s a quick ten step process to check everything is working as it should. STEP 1 Start by clicking on the Windows Start Button or pressing the Windows key on your keyboard. Enter security into the search bar and click the first option that appears in the results, Security and Maintenance. STEP 2 This will open the Security and Maintenance section of the Control Panel. There are two main sections within this page, click on the Security section to expand it. Ideally all the options within the Security section should be displaying On, with the exception of Internet Security Settings which will display OK. STEP 3 Should any of…

Safer Surfing Securing your web browser isn’t too difficult. There are plenty of options available, including some third-party add-ons you can use to improve security. For this tutorial, we’re using Chrome. STEP 1 Start by opening Chrome and clicking on the three vertical dots in the top right of the browser window. This is the link to the available options; from the list choose Settings. STEP 2 It’s generally recommended that you sign into Chrome using a Google account, as this can greatly improve the overall security of the browser. For example, when you sign in, under the Sign In section in Settings, click on the Advanced Sync Settings button, the first option available. STEP 3 With the Advanced Sync Settings box open, select the option for Encrypt all synced…

Wi-Fi, Lock and Key A lot of the standard tips on protecting your Wi-Fi merge with those of protecting your wired network. It’s common sense mostly and keeping an eye on what’s going on in your own network. ADMIN PASSWORD All routers come with a generic username and password. Depending on the model and manufacturer of the router, it’s surprisingly easy to get hold of the username and password. For example, view www.routerpasswords.com and choose your router. With that being the case, change the administrator username and its password. ISP PASSWORD ISP supplied routers tend to have their own set of usernames and passwords. Although these are more secure than that of the default set, they are still obtainable from the more dubious quarter of the Internet. A potential hacker…

Encryption Galore Here are ten different encryption tools for you to consider that work well with Windows, and some previous versions too. Some are free, others cost but they’re all good in their own right. BITLOCKER Available only for users of Windows Pro, Windows 8.1 Pro and Enterprise and Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate versions. If you’re running the Home versions, you’ll need to upgrade via the Microsoft site, or from the Windows Store. In short, BitLocker offers full disk encryption with 128-bit or 256-bit AES standards. VERACRYPT This is a free disk encryption program that’s based on the popular TrueCrypt. It offers enhanced security, lots of levels of encryption and support for UEFI drives. It’s available for Windows version 7 onwards as well as Mac OS X, Linux and…

Encryption Galore Here are ten different encryption tools for you to consider that work well with Windows, and some previous versions too. Some are free, others cost but they’re all good in their own right. CYBERGHOST CyberGhost is our favourite VPN. It offers 256-bit AES military grade encryption, no logging, access to 27 countries and hundreds of servers, protected browsing, ad blocking, access to fast servers, unlimited traffic and bandwidth and an anti-fingerprint system. All for around £5.83 per month for up to five devices. HMA Despite its colourful name, Hide My Ass VPN is considered to be one of the best services available. Along with the usual secure 256-bit encryption connection you get blistering speeds, access to over 300 locations, anonymous email use, a free web proxy access and…

Information Superhighway The Internet is a huge, complex network of computers and is widely credited as humanity’s greatest achievement. It’s estimated that the Internet houses something in the region of 1024 bytes of information, which is quite a lot. That estimated 1024 bytes equates to an exabyte of potential information held by every single connected device that makes up the Internet, some of which is your information. It’s an impossible number to visualise, since we’re only using gigabytes or terabytes of storage in most of our devices. More to the point though, how on earth does all that connect together, and how does it work? To be able to transmit all that information, the data that travels around the Internet is in packets. Each of these packets contains a header…

Ten Tips for Safer Mobiles Your personal information is worth quite a bit to the right group of people. It’s not just Windows security you need to keep in mind, you need to consider your mobile security too. SECURITY LOCK Locking your device is one of the most basic of security tips for mobile devices. Either use a number code, pattern lock or finger print to lock your device when not in use. Should someone steal it, it becomes a little more difficult for them to gain access. That won’t stop a professional digital criminal, but it will deter the rest. REMOTE WIPE If possible set up some form of remote wipe. Should your phone or tablet be stolen or lost, you’ll be able to use another Internet connected computer…

Ransomware is a particularly nasty form of malware and digital threat. There’s usually some kind of ransomware headlining in the news around the world and those who are the victims are often at a loss as to what to do next. Essentially, ransomware will infect an individual computer and one of two things can happen: first, it locks the computer, stopping all access to it from the keyboard, then it starts to search for data and encrypt the contents of the hard drive. Lastly it infects the boot sector of the computer and displays a message detailing the type of ransomware and how the individual will pay for the release of the data; the message can even have fake FBI warnings included with it. Alternatively, and the second thing that…

So what exactly is pharming? In short, this is the criminal act of producing a fake website and redirecting the victims to it. The website could be anything from a reasonably popular online shopping store, to one of the wellknown high street banks. The victim, unaware that the web site is fake, as the front end apes the real thing, even down to the small print at the bottom of the page, will login with their details. After the user has logged in several options are available to the ‘pharmer’. They can collect the username and login details and simply leave the victim with a blank web page; this is usually a method used by an amateur pharmer or those who want a quick username and password grab before disappearing…

Weakest Links In terms of digital security, you’re only as strong as the weakest link in your security chain. You can tick all the security boxes but if you don’t know what to look for in the first place you’re still vulnerable. PASSWORD CHANGE A good sign of a breach in your digital security is the sudden changing of a password. It can be for a random site, webmail or just something small to begin with. Sometimes a hacker with a keylogger in place will test the water before accessing your bank, in which case you need to virus scan your PC immediately. PERSONAL SPAM We all receive spam emails of some form or another. However, if you suddenly start getting emails of a more personal nature, then you need…

Update, reboot, update, reboot Updates may well be the bane of the modern computer user but they are there for a reason. It’s not the 8-bit era anymore, we need those updates to help protect our security. Here are 10 reasons why they’re important. PATCH VULNERABILITIES Windows updates patch recognised security holes in the core system. Many of the viruses around today exploit a vulnerability in the Windows code that hasn’t been fixed yet. So when an update comes along, that potential flaw will be ironed out. EXTRA SECURITY In addition to potential security glitches in the code, often an update can contain an extra level of security that’s been programmed in by the developers. For example, the code that handles remote desktop requests has had a security patch but…

Network Protection Without being too paranoid, it’s remarkably easy to get into a neighbour’s home network. If you live in a block of flats or you use powerline adapters, you may need to consider these ten steps for better network protection. ROUTER PASSWORD The most common entry point to gain access to your network is via the router. The router from your ISP may well be offering the latest forms of encryption but it doesn’t take a genius to trawl the less reputable sections of the Internet to obtain a list of passwords. Therefore, change the default username and password to access it. MAC ADDRESSING Most routers these days come with a form of authentication called MAC (Media Access Code) address filtering. Every networkable device, computers, tablets, games consoles, come…

Kryptos Communications To better understand encryption it’s worth taking a moment to learn about its origins, how it’s been developed over the years and how it applies to our modern communications. The word encryption comes from the ancient Greek word Kryptos, which means hidden or secret. Interestingly, the use of hiding messages from others can be traced back to early Egyptian scribes who inserted non-standard hieroglyphs within other communications in order to hide the message from casual viewers. According to historians the Spartans used strips of leather with messages engraved. When the strips were read they were meaningless but when wrapped around a staff of a certain diameter the characters would be decipherable. Of course, the modern forms of encryption are far more advanced but the overall core concept has…

Virtual Private Network Using a VPN can help hide your online presence. Whilst this may seem like an ideal way to get to illegal content, it’s actually designed to help fight for your basic right to Internet and digital privacy. Essentially, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a server or group of servers in a remote location that you can connect to through a client. The VPN servers then hide your Internet-bound IP address with their own, so if you connected to a VPN that’s located in Australia then your IP address would be as if you were actually sat at a desktop down under. The benefits of this are many but mainly a VPN will allow you to access region restricted websites, protect you from tracking and shield your…

CyberGhost We’re going to use CyberGhost as the example VPN for this tutorial. You’ll need to purchase one of the available packages to begin with, Premium is £3.74 per month, while Premium Plus is £5.83. STEP 1 We won’t use the free option in this instance, as the paid for services offer a better set of features with which to display the VPN in action. Start by navigating to www.cyberghostvpn.com and clicking on the Pricing link in the upper portion of the main CyberGhost site for your regional and latest pricing. STEP 2 Assuming you’ve purchased one of the options, click the yellow Free Download button located in the top right of the main page. This will, after a few seconds, automatically initialise the download of the latest CyberGhost client…

The data packets that make up a message, or a string containing a username and password, are sent to and from yours and other computers without most of us ever really knowing what’s going on in the background. It’s this lack of knowledge that’s the hacker’s greatest tool. Well, that and some clever software that’s freely downloadable from the Internet. Let’s look at how data can be intercepted by a hacker. Let’s use the scenario that you’re on a business trip, or just out and about, and you’re using a café’s free, public Wi-Fi. There are numerous, and quite ingenious, ways in which data can be intercepted by a hacker. Normally you need to be using an unsecure network, such as a public Wi-Fi but there are other ways and…

Being on the end of a successful hack has been likened to having your house robbed. There’s a feeling of invasion, that someone has rifled through your personal belongings and stolen what’s yours. “You’ve been hacked!” WARNING Monetary Motivation As with most hacks the world over, money is the driving force behind an attack. A hacker will want to enter your system through various means and obtain your bank or credit card details in order to get access to your money. It’s plain and simple theft. Personal Information Personal information can be extremely valuable to a hacker. Those who manage to obtain information about you, from date of birth, address, social security number and countless other trivial details, can then use your identity to open bank accounts, start a loan…

Just to give you an idea of what the future could hold for the computing world, here are the top ten most destructive viruses unleashed over the last decade into the digital domain. “Digital Destruction” 1 Storm Worm Storm Worm was released in 2007 and was rumoured to have hailed from Russia. It came in the form of an email link, usually with an important headline to grab the victim’s attention. When the victim clicks the link the code is inserted and payload with a backdoor into the system is opened. It infected over 10 million computers worldwide. 2 Conficker Conficker was a 2008 worm that infected an estimated 15 million Windows computers worldwide. The French Navy, UK Ministry of Defence, hospitals and local police forces were affected. It was…

Security leaks, holes and flaws in development code appear all the time, for every operating system. Windows has the bad luck of being at the top of the security flaw news pile. However, here are ten reasons why it’s actually a secure OS to use. “Windows Security Improvements” Virtualisation-based Security VBS is an improvement to the core Windows security, it stands for Virtualisation-based Security and uses a mixture of hardware and software enforced developments to create an isolated, hypervisor restricted subsystem for securing the OS core data. Nothing unsigned by Microsoft is allowed to be injected into the kernel or executed. Secure Booting Secure Booting utilises the new UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), the replacement for the older and more vulnerable BIOS, along with Windows Trusted Boot code integrity and…

Better Protection A third-party security suite offers much than virus scanning. With one of these, you’re covered against most, if not all, digital threats. Here are ten security suites worth considering if you’re serious about your digital protection. BITDEFENDER Bitdefender Total Security security suite from one of the world’s leading security specialists. This version offers unrivalled levels of protection and performance for Windows, macOS and Android platforms. There’s even an advanced ransomware protection element to help protect your folders. MCAFEE McAfee Total Protection offers a 100% guarantee of virus removal, or you get your money back. There are three main versions available: Antivirus Plus, Total Protection and Livesafe, each has its own particular twist, but all offer excellent security features and benefits. SYMANTEC Norton Security Premium is Symantec’s top choice…

Keeping Up To Date Whilst it’s easy to update Windows, there are elements that can be missed. We’ve already mentioned that it’s not only Windows that needs updating but also software and drivers. STEP 1 The first port of call is undoubtedly Windows Update. Click on the Windows Start button followed by Settings, the cog icon just above the power icon on the strip to the side. This will open the Windows Settings interface, locate the last entry, Update & Security and click it. STEP 2 By default Windows Update will automatically check for, download and install updates for the core Windows files. You can check for any on the spot by clicking the Check for updates button; and you can see what’s already been updated by clicking the Update…

Windows, Under Lock and Key We’re going to encrypt a 2GB USB flash in this example, purely for ease of use and to demonstrate how you can encrypt your entire laptop hard drive(s). STEP 1 Encryption doesn’t affect the core data, other than making it impossible to read without the decryption key but it’s always worth making sure you have a backup of all your data prior to any system related changes. If you store your work or data in the Documents folder, then start by opening it in Windows Explorer. STEP 2 Press Ctrl+A to highlight all the files, then press Ctrl+C to copy them to the clipboard. Next, choose a suitable backup location such as an external or network drive and when ready, press Ctrl+V to paste the…

Security Beyond Anonymity It’s a good question: how can a VPN improve Windows security? Whilst the privacy side is well catered for, there are some good security enhancements and features a VPN brings to the table. BROWSING ACTIVITY This doesn’t happen often but an ISP can become compromised and details of user activities leaked or stolen. Using a VPN can hide your browsing activity from trackers and even your ISP, enabling you to browse with freedom of fear of having your details leaked or accessed by others. ANTIMALWARE Many VPN providers utilise a level of antimalware into their security layers. This enhances your security by filtering any downloads through the VPN first. Should there be a virus present, then it can be removed or stopped at the VPN before it…

While you can successfully protect yourself and your own computer, as soon as you make a connection to the outside world you’re under the influence of many external factors. We look at how data is transmitted from your computer to the Internet and how a canny hacker can intercept that data for their own means. Over the coming pages you’ll discover how best to protect yourself and what strategies you can use to become more secure when online; even when you’re out and about with your Windows laptop and other devices.…

Public Safety Despite the different and varied ways a hacker can gain access to your inbound and outbound data, there are means in which you can defend yourself. Here are ten tips to help you protect your data from being intercepted. TIP 1 Not all public Wi-Fi access points are havens for nefarious hackers but that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. Every security software and firewall in the world can’t help you if you’re not savvy when it comes to information security. If you’re going to use public Wi-Fi, don’t use it for banking or other highly personal detail transactions. TIP 2 It may not always be possible to spot an Evil Twin fake Wi-Fi access point. It’s often best to double-check with members of staff, if…