Sharing your devices

Some things are intended to be shared with family and friends. Others are designed to be shared with co-workers. However there are many situations where sharing should be limited to exceptional circumstances, i.e. when there is no alternative. A toothbrush is a good example of an item that is not normally shared.

 

To what extent should you share your computer, tablet or smartphone, your passwords and PIN numbers, etc. and under what conditions?

 

Why is this an issue?

Imagine that one day you switch on your device and discover that, for example:

 

• You turn your computer on and the usual screen does not display what you are used to. Worst case it does not display anything, or your password no longer gives you access to your device
• Your mouse cursor has been changed
• You discover that someone else has been reading your e-mails
• You find that new software has been installed without your knowledge or permission

 

Whoever did this may not know how to put things back as they were and, let’s face it, maybe you would not know how to either. Could you really?

In the workplace, sharing your device with an unknown person is asking for trouble unless this is permitted by design and individuals have individual accounts. When conducting audits the author often asked a person being audited if he could use their computer for a few minutes, to which almost everybody agreed. All it takes is to insert a USB with malicious software to their computer to take control of the network. Such action may not be detected for a considerable time. Best to say: “NO, sorry, it’s company policy not to allow third parties to access the network”.

 

What you should do about it

The simplest way to share your devices more securely is to create multiple user accounts. This feature is available for most devices, each of which has somewhat different procedures for doing so. A search engine will give you the details for those you own.

 

Each account (“Guest”, “Child #1, etc.) should define what the individual is allowed to do. You should for example prevent others from installing software or making purchases on your behalf. A search engine looking for “how to set up separate accounts on a (your device name and type)” will lead you to step- by-step   instructions.

 

Many devices also include a Parental Controls feature. How they work and how to set them up can be found using a search engine.