Many users do not think twice about sharing or allowing others to use their personal computer or tablet. Unfortunately, there are many risks associated with this habit that can potentially compromise your personal information and the security of the computer. On many occasions users have their computers configured to store User IDs and passwords to eliminate having to continuously enter credentials for websites that they visit often. This of course means that when someone logs in to their personal account, if they are not careful they can omit telling the computer not to store their log in information hence, potentially giving others access to their account.
For the computer, allowing others to access their accounts can be dangerous, as a user may access their personal email and download attachments that have been embedded with malware or viruses and introduce the malicious software to the computer. It is good practice as the owner of a computer or tablet to limit the people that are allowed to access their accounts via your computer. If you have a computer that must be shared with multiple users we recommend that each account be configured with permissions that limit what the user can do on the computer without requesting permission from the administrator. Securing your information and maintaining the security of your computer does not have to be sophisticated. Setting up simple procedures for access to your computer can go a long way in protecting your computer and personal information.
Larry Clark
Senior Engineer, GALINNO Technology Solutions