Device Protection

1. Why is it important?

Digital devices contain private data such as photos, documents, banking information, passwords, contacts and others.

Company devices contain internal company information that should not fall into the hands of third parties.
In addition to the risk of data misuse and identity theft, there is also the possibility of unauthorized people using device functions, resulting in high costs.

Examples of misuse:

If you want to learn more about a specific topic, please select the relevant topic in the table of contents on the right.

2. Lock devices

Lock your digital devices!

By doing so, you protect the data contained on them and prevent unauthorized access to your devices and the programs contained on them. PIN, password, fingerprint or facial recognition are usually used to unlock digital devices. You can find out how to do this specifically under a particular operating system by following the relevant link in the table of contents.

2.1. Windows 10

Lock / unlock devices under Windows 10

Click on the PDF icon or launch the video to watch a tutorial on what unlocking options you have in Windows 10. To quickly lock a Windows 10 computer, press Windows key + L

2.2. iOS

Lock devices on iOS

Click on the PDF icon or start the video to watch a tutorial.

2.3. Android

Lock devices on Android

Click on the PDF icon or start the video to watch a tutorial.

3. Further explanations

This chapter contains further explanations on specific topics.
Please select from the table of contents on the right.

3.1. Passwords

What you should know about passwords

Passwords are important for protecting devices, IT systems and data.
The right choice of passwords and the appropriate handling of them protect against unauthorized access and manipulation. If unauthorized users get hold of passwords, this can have negative consequences for privacy and also cause considerable financial damage.

Secure passwords should consist of at least 8 characters and contain upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.

A password manager is a program that manages passwords like a list in a safe. The advantage of a password manager is that you no longer have to remember passwords. Thus, they can be longer and more complicated, which also makes them more secure.

3.2. Multi-factor authentication

What multi-factor authentication means

A newer and more secure method of logging in is multi-factor authentication. In multi-factor authentication, you have to authenticate several times in different ways and different transmission channels are used for this purpose. It is also called two-factor authentication (2FA), but it basically always follows the same principle: it adds an additional authentication step to logins that require username (identification) and password (authentication), such as entering a TAN or verifying a biometric feature like fingerprint or facial recognition. The key thing is that a separate transmission channel is used for this.

3.3. Fingerprint scan, face scan

These technologies use biometric data such as fingerprints or facial features to authenticate a person's identity. They are used for various purposes, such as unlocking a phone or computer, gaining access to secure buildings or financial accounts, and confirming a person's identity for security purposes. These technologies are becoming more common because they are convenient and secure compared to traditional passwords. However, there are also concerns about privacy and the use of biometrics by governments and businesses.

3.4. Antivirus program and malware

An antivirus program is software designed to protect a computer from malicious software (malware). Antivirus programs scan a computer's files for potential threats and try to prevent them from causing harm.

For example, in Windows 10, the Microsoft Defender protection program is enabled by default.

Malware is an acronym for "malicious software" and describes malicious software designed to perform unwanted or harmful actions on a computer, network, or mobile device. Malware can be developed and used by cybercriminals, hackers, or other malicious actors to access personal data and financial information, sabotage systems, or spy on users.

There are different types of malware, each of which has a specific function and uses different methods to cause harm. Here are some of the most common types of malware:

• Viruses
  Viruses are one of the oldest types of malware. They copy themselves into other programs and files and spread across a computer or network. When an infected program is run, the virus can cause damage, such as deleting files or paralyzing the system.
• Worms
  Worms are similar to viruses, but they do not require a host file to spread themselves. Instead, they use networks and vulnerabilities to replicate themselves and spread to other computers or networks. Once inside the system, worms can cause damage by, for example, consuming system resources or stealing important data.
• Trojans
  Trojans are malware that masquerade as legitimate software and then secretly perform malicious activities. For example, they may steal passwords, collect data, or download and install other malicious programs.
• Ransomware
  Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files on a computer or network and then demands a ransom to restore access to the data. Ransomware can spread in a variety of ways, including email attachments, social engineering, or drive-by downloads.
• Adware
  Adware is malware designed to serve unwanted ads on a computer or mobile device. Adware is often bundled with free software downloads and can cause the system to slow down or leak personal information to third parties.

The way malware works varies depending on the type. Some types of malware can simply serve unwanted ads or slow down the system, while other types of malware can cause serious damage, such as deleting important files, stealing passwords, or taking control of the system. Malware can get onto a system in a number of ways, such as through email attachments, drive-by downloads, social engineering or by exploiting security vulnerabilities. It is important that users protect themselves from malware by using antivirus software, updating software, and watching for suspicious activity.

3.5. Encryption of stored data

Encryption of stored data means converting data into an encoded form such that it can only be deciphered again with the correct decryption key. Encryption helps protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, even if a device or system is compromised.

Encryption is possible for individual files, folders, or entire drives or hard disks.

3.6. Encryption for data transmission

Data is transmitted between devices or across networks in encrypted form. Encryption of data in transit is important to protect sensitive information such as financial transactions and personal data from interception and misuse by unauthorized parties.