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Encrypt computers and use an everyday account without admin rights
Why it matters: A lost or stolen laptop without encryption is an open book. A standard account means malicious software can't change the system without asking.
Do it
- On Mac, turn on FileVault in System Settings, Privacy & Security.
- On Windows, turn on Device encryption in Settings, Privacy & security, or BitLocker on Pro editions.
- Save the recovery key in your password manager and on paper.
- Create a standard account for daily use and keep the admin account for installs.
- Make sure the built-in antivirus and firewall are on.
Check it worked: Every computer has full-disk encryption on (FileVault on Mac, BitLocker or Device Encryption on Windows), and people use a standard account day to day.
Simply put
Encryption is like a diary written in a code only your login can read. A thief with the laptop gets gibberish, and an everyday account without admin rights means software has to ask before changing anything.
In detail
The recovery key is the part people lose; without it, a failed update can lock you out of your own files. Store it the same way you store other recovery codes.
Points toward the Long View: a lost laptop that's just a lost laptop.