Secure your computer

• Putting a password to your BIOS ! That’s essential. You would have to put two passwords to access to your computer but it’s crucial. Without it, I can easily access to your computer (Macintosh also), even the last version, with admin rights, just by booting through a USB stick. The BIOS password can be removed (it’s annoying but not that hard). They can also just remove the hard drive from your PC. So in any case, you have to encrypt your hard drive, we will see that later.

• Use an antivirus, I strongly advise ESET NOD 32.

• Don’t use any cracked software or game.

• Verify all software you have installed in your computer.

• Update your computer (I know, it’s very annoying on Windows, but you should do it.)

• Put something in front of your webcam and microphone. For some webcam and hardware, you can easily deactivate LED statut of webcam, so it’s crucial.

• Using a strong password is crucial because the brute-force are getting faster and faster, so a basic password would take few seconds to be hack. Of course, use a different password for the BIOS and operating system. Suggesting 1Password as password manager. 8- On Windows, use fix-windows-privacy to prevent Microsoft from spying your uses. 9- Never name your computer or local account with your name. 10- To delete your files, use a software like CCleaner or AVG Shredder.

Secure your data

• Encrypt your data, it’s very easy nowadays and you won’t have to do much effort. For MacOS, activate FireVault option, for windows it’s Bitlocker, you have to get the Windows Pro to have this option (20€ keys on Amazon, worth it).

• For your USB stick, external hard drive, use veracrypt to encrypt your data, there is some really interesting options.

• If you want to encrypt again a folder, or just encrypt some data and not the whole hard drive, I advise Cryptomator.

• I advise KeePass for your passwords or 1Password.