Cyber Academy
Device hardening essentials
Turning on the protections your phone and laptop already ship with, and why disk encryption plus automatic updates cover most of the risk.
Modern operating systems ship with strong protections that are frequently left off or half-configured. This lesson is about switching them on rather than installing anything new.
Full disk encryption
BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on macOS, and default encryption on current iOS and Android. Without it, a lost laptop is a data breach; with it, it is an expensive inconvenience. Verify it is actually enabled — on Windows it often is not by default on non-Pro editions.
Automatic updates
The majority of real-world compromises use vulnerabilities that were patched months earlier. Automatic updates for the operating system, browser, and applications close that window without requiring you to track anything.
Screen lock and biometrics
A short lock timeout with biometric unlock is both more secure and less annoying than a long timeout with a PIN you dread typing. Set the timeout to a minute or two on mobile and five minutes on a laptop.
Reduce what runs
Remove applications and browser extensions you no longer use. Extensions in particular hold broad permissions over everything you browse, and abandoned ones are regularly sold to new owners who change their behaviour.
Practice task
Open the Device Checklist, select each device you own, and work through the items. Progress is saved so you can return to it.