In this section:
Through an Internet connection, your computer and the information that users create on it are vulnerable to various forms of abuse, including the downloading of malware such as viruses and the risk that websites and programs can access your personal information and location.
Windows 8 has several built-in protections against these threats that are easy to set up and manage, if you know what to look for. Windows Firewall stops files from being downloaded to your computer without your knowledge. Windows Defender is a feature that guards against spyware and malware, which include programs that can be downloaded to your computer that watch your activities or corrupt your data.
To keep information private, you can set up multiple user accounts on your computer. Each user can save certain settings and content. Users can each have a unique picture, password, and even a PIN, which helps them log on to your computer quickly and easily. You can manage user account settings to enhance your computer’s security and set up Account Control Settings to notify you when there is an attempt by another user to install programs on your computer or change your Windows settings. Finally, you can use Family Safety controls to manage the content that younger users can access.
Windows Firewall is a feature that checks information being sent or downloaded from the Internet or another network to your computer. Firewall then either allows access or rejects the access, depending on the settings you have applied. I strongly recommend that you turn on Windows Firewall. However, a firewall doesn’t replace the need for antivirus and anti-spyware software; your computer can be exposed to threats via avenues other than the Internet and networks.
From the Start screen, begin to type Control Panel.
When the search result displays the Control Panel app, click it.
Click Windows Firewall.
Click Turn Windows Firewall On Or Off.
Select the Turn On Windows Firewall option in the Private Network or Public Network settings, or turn on both if you log on to public hot spots.
Click OK.
Tip
If you want extra security, in the Windows Firewall Customize Settings dialog box, under the Private Network settings, you can select the Block All Incoming Connections check box, which blocks any incoming connection even if you’ve specified that the connection is safe. By default, the option for notifying you when Windows blocks a program is selected, but you can turn that off if you don’t want a notification.
You can use privacy settings in Windows 8 to allow programs to access your location or your name and account picture. For example, you might want a mapping app to have access to your location so that it can display directions from where you are to another location. Or, you might want to allow websites you go to regularly to recognize you and greet you by name when you visit.
Tip
There is some danger associated with allowing access to your location. If you or your child are concerned that an individual might want to know where you are at any point in time, you are more at risk if you carry a laptop or tablet device with you, and you might consider blocking this access. However, for most people, this feature simply adds convenience when using certain applications.
Note
Network security can help you control who has access to your files and data. When you create a network, you establish your network security type. See Chapter 19, for more about network security settings.
Windows 8 provides built-in protection against viruses and spyware with a feature called Windows Defender. Integrated with Internet Explorer, Windows Defender scans files you download from the Internet to detect threats. When turned on, the program automatically provides real-time protection against threats, stopping malware from being downloaded. You can also run manual scans any time you like. Remember that this free protection is akin to other free anti-malware protection you can find online. It is good, but if you want more robust security—for example, if you often visit unknown websites or often download files to your computer—you might consider purchasing an anti-malware software program.
When the Windows Defender app appears in the Search results, click it.
On the Home tab, click either the Quick or Full scan option.
Click the Scan Now button.
When the scan is completed, check to see what threats, if any, were detected.
Click the Close button.
Note
You can customize your scan. Follow the steps in this task, but at step 3, click the Custom Scan option. When you click the Scan Now button, you can select check boxes for the drives you want to scan. For example, you can scan only your hard disk, any DVD or removable/external drive attached to your computer, or all drives. Click OK to run the scan.
If more than one person works on your computer, you might want to set up several user accounts. Each user account can have unique settings and store different documents. You can also password-protect these accounts and assign a user photo so that each user has a private computing experience. You can set up a user account by using a Windows Live account. (You have one if you have a Live, Hotmail, or MSN email account, or you can create one when you create a new user.)
When you set up your computer for the first time, you create your own user account and you are set up as the account administrator, meaning that you have the ability to make and change any settings. Any user accounts you set up subsequently are set up by default as Standard users, meaning that they can’t make changes to more sensitive settings dealing with features such as security and privacy.
Press Windows logo key+C.
Click the Settings charm.
Click Change PC Settings.
Click Add A User.
Enter an email address.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Tip
When you set up user accounts for children, you might want to set some parameters for how they can use the computer and its Internet connection. See Turning On Family Safety later in this chapter for help with this.
Tip
If you enter a non-Windows Live address, you might be asked to create a Windows Live account after step 6. To create a Windows Live account or to log on locally with no Windows Live ID, tap the Sign Up For A New Email Address or Don’t Want This User To Sign In With A Microsoft Account links in step 5 and follow the instructions.
If you have a touchscreen computer, you can set up a password picture. In this procedure, you choose a password picture and then record three onscreen gestures associated with the picture, which you repeat to log on.
Go to PC Settings. (Press Windows logo key+I and click Change PC Settings.)
Click Users.
Click Create A Picture Password.
Enter your password.
Click OK.
Click Choose Picture.
Click a source for your picture, such as Sample Pictures.
Click Go Up if you want to go to another folder.
Click a picture.
Click Open.
Entering an email address and password might require that you type 20 or 30 characters, which takes a bit of your precious time. What if you could log on to Windows 8 with just 4 characters? That’s what a PIN does for you: it’s a shorthand way to log on, and it’s easy to create.
Tip
Just as with a password, make your PIN hard to guess, even though the characters are limited in number. For example, don’t use part of your phone number, street address, or date of birth, because these pieces of information are often publicly available. If you need something that’s not totally random to help you remember it, use a number that represents a date or year that has special meaning known only to you, or part of a phone number from 10 years ago.
When you have set up more than one user account on your Windows 8 computer, you will want to switch among them. For example, you might have one account for you and one for your spouse. With separate accounts you can each make your own settings and save your own documents and limit access to those documents with a personal password or PIN. You change to a different account from the lock screen.
Tip
If you have administrative privileges on your Windows 8 device, you can use the User Accounts And Family Safety option in the Desktop Control Panel to manage accounts. From there, you can set up Family Safety for each account, change the account type, delete accounts, and even change the password for local accounts.
You can use the User Account Control Settings dialog box to set up, by user, how Windows notifies you before programs are installed on your computer or when there are attempts to make changes to your Windows settings. You can choose a level of protection that works best for each user. If only one user on the computer has administrative level permissions, it can be useful to set up the Always Notify level of account control for that person so that she knows when other users try to make changes.
Note
For more information about making settings for individual users, see Create a New User, earlier in this section.
If children use your computer, consider setting up Family Safety controls through their user accounts. These controls allow you to make different settings for each child. For example, you might want to limit the time a teen spends online so that homework gets done, or block a younger child from using certain programs on your computer.
From the desktop, open the Control Panel.
Click Set Up Family Safety For Any User.
Click a user.
Under Family Safety, click the On, Enforce Current Settings option.
Click Close.
Note
See the next task for managing individual Family Safety control settings. For information about using Internet Explorer settings for a safer browsing experience, see Chapter 12.
With Family Safety settings, you can set time limits so that you can control the amount of time and the time periods for which your child can use the computer. You can choose which games children can access by rating, content, or title. Finally, you can block specific programs from being used by your child on your computer.
In the Control Panel, click Set Up Family Safety For Any User.
Click a User for whom Family Safety is turned on.
Click to allow access to all websites.
Click to block some websites or content.
Click to allow only specified websites on the Allow And Block List. (Click the Edit The Allow And Block List link to specify allowable URLs.)
Click to choose a web filtering level.
Click the Close button.
Note
Make a list of the types of content that make sense for each of your children to be able to access and review those choices periodically as they grow up. For example, you might choose to change settings for the junior high student to appropriate settings for a high school student when the time comes to help him “graduate” to a more mature phase.
From the Family Safety dialog box, click on a user for whom Family Safety is turned on.
Click Time Limits.
Click Set Time Allowance.
Click User Can Only Use The PC For The Amount Of Time I Allow.
Click the corresponding fields to set up the number or hours and minutes the user can use the computer on weekdays and weekends.
Click Close.
In the Family Safety dialog box, click a user for whom Family Safety settings are turned on.
Click the first option, “User” Can Play All Games And View All Windows Store Apps, if you don’t want the user to play games; if you leave this setting selected, use the Allow Or Block Games And Windows Store Apps By Rating link to make additional settings.
If you prefer to allow the user to use some games, click Set Game And Windows Store Ratings.
Click to allow or block games with no rating.
Click a rating level.
Click the Close button.
Tip
If your children are into online games, take a look at Chapter 9, for more about playing games online, including some safety tips.
Tip
It is possible to stop users from working with certain apps by using Family Safety. For example, if you use a program for your work and don’t want to risk having your child open your work and make changes to it, you might want to use this control. If you want to restrict access to certain apps on your computer, on the Family Safety screen displayed in step 2 of this task, click a user and then click Program Limits. Click the option for allowing use only of certain programs, and then on the list that appears, click to select any installed programs. Click OK to set this control.
