devices
2 articles with this tag
Securing a laptop you carry around — protecting against theft, loss, and shoulder-surfing
Carrying a laptop assumes you'll lose it or it'll be stolen. The real defense is designed so a loss doesn't leak the contents: disk encryption (BitLocker/FileVault), a strong login with a short auto-lock, and remote wipe/locate. With HTTPS everywhere, public-Wi-Fi sniffing is lower priority; the real threats are rogue APs, shoulder-surfing, and walking away. Don't over-trust a VPN — harden the device first.
Smartphone security basics — protecting the device that holds your keys, vault, and ID in one
A phone concentrates 2FA, email, banking, and ID into one single point of failure. The real defense isn't a security app: (1) a strong lock + short auto-lock (the passcode is the encryption key); (2) automatic OS/app updates; (3) official store + permission review; (4) set up remote lock/wipe in advance; (5) keep a backup of your 2FA. iOS/Android already encrypt and sandbox by default.