Away Security

We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?

On Fri, 11 Dec 2015 11:33:37 -0500, Dave C wrote:

We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?


Remove the hard drive and take it with you.

Dave C wrote on 12/11/2015 11:33 AM:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?


Remove HDD's and/or SDD's and put in bank Safe Deposit Box.


--
...winston
msft mvp windows experience

On Fri, 11 Dec 2015 11:56:14 -0500, ". . .winston"
wrote:

Dave C wrote on 12/11/2015 11:33 AM:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?


Remove HDD's and/or SDD's and put in bank Safe Deposit Box.

Such an obvious, fool proof solution -danka

On 12/11/2015 10:33 AM, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?

Use bitlocker to encrypt the drive contents.

--
A Paradoxial World, for Sure.

On 11/12/2015 17:33, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect mydata, from a potential thief, while away?

Here is what I would do.

1. Do not store sensitive info on your PC. If you already wrote it,
erase/wipe the files (don't just delete them).

2. Remove passwords and personal data you saved in your web browser, in
password keepers or in any other programs.

3. Empty cache and temp folders by using both Windows Disk Cleanup and
Piriform's CCleaner.

4. Set the hard disk password in BIOS, if available.

5. Most importantly, do encrypt your disk(s) with a good encryption
software, using a robust--yet easy to remember--password. Don't write it
down on a yellow sticky note.

You can use Veracrypt (free, based on Truecrypt 7.1a)
https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/
or Bitlocker (built-in in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, NOT in Windows
10 Home).

6. As a quicker alternative to steps 1 to 5, you might want to consider
creating a backup image of your PC disk(s), with Macrium Reflect,
Acronis or similar software programs. Make a couple of copies and verify
them. Store the image on a USB disk you are going to take with you or
store in a safe place. Then erase (not just format) your PC hard disk(s).

7. Do not leave at home back up disks/ pen drives / SD cards with
personal data, or encrypt those too.

8. Take with you (or store on a encrypted cloud storage service) a copy
of your more important data.

On 11/12/2015 16:33, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?
Backup your data on Microsoft One Drive and then delete them from your
puter.


--

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On Fri, 11 Dec 2015 11:56:14 -0500, ". . .winston"
wrote:

Dave C wrote on 12/11/2015 11:33 AM:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?


Remove HDD's and/or SDD's and put in bank Safe Deposit Box.


Yes, an even better suggestion than my "take it with you."

On Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:21:36 +0100, edevils
wrote:

On 11/12/2015 17:33, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect mydata, from a potential thief, while away?

Here is what I would do.

1. Do not store sensitive info on your PC. If you already wrote it,
erase/wipe the files (don't just delete them).

2. Remove passwords and personal data you saved in your web browser, in
password keepers or in any other programs.

3. Empty cache and temp folders by using both Windows Disk Cleanup and
Piriform's CCleaner.

4. Set the hard disk password in BIOS, if available.

5. Most importantly, do encrypt your disk(s) with a good encryption
software, using a robust--yet easy to remember--password. Don't write it
down on a yellow sticky note.

You can use Veracrypt (free, based on Truecrypt 7.1a)
https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/
or Bitlocker (built-in in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, NOT in Windows
10 Home).

6. As a quicker alternative to steps 1 to 5, you might want to consider
creating a backup image of your PC disk(s), with Macrium Reflect,
Acronis or similar software programs. Make a couple of copies and verify
them. Store the image on a USB disk you are going to take with you or
store in a safe place. Then erase (not just format) your PC hard disk(s).

7. Do not leave at home back up disks/ pen drives / SD cards with
personal data, or encrypt those too.

8. Take with you (or store on a encrypted cloud storage service) a copy
of your more important data.

I am one whom compiles/submits my income taxes using tax software. I
am sure that their is other sensitive data on my PC.

I was not sure how I could avoid having ANY sensitive data stored on
my PC, available if stolen. I will remove my "C" HD, while we are
away. That is an easy/ most effective solution - one that SHOULD have
been a DUH Dave answer!!

On 11/12/2015 19:45, Dave C wrote:
On Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:21:36 +0100, edevils
....snip....

5. Most importantly, do encrypt your disk(s) with a good encryption
software,
[...]

6. As a quicker alternative to steps 1 to 5, you might want to consider
creating a backup image of your PC disk(s), with Macrium Reflect,
Acronis or similar software programs. Make a couple of copies and verify
them. Store the image on a USB disk you are going to take with you or
store in a safe place. Then erase (not just format) your PC hard disk(s).
....snip...


I am one whom compiles/submits my income taxes using tax software. I
am sure that their is other sensitive data on my PC.

I was not sure how I could avoid having ANY sensitive data stored on
my PC, available if stolen. I will remove my "C" HD, while we are
away. That is an easy/ most effective solution - one that SHOULD have
been a DUH Dave answer!!


Well, if you follow my step #6 you can take all your DATA with you (even
on a pen drive, which you will be able to read if you need to access
some of the data when you are away), but you won't need to carry with
you your hard drive (heftier and not as easy to access), as long as you
erase the drive.

Besides, thieves might steal anything you take with you, too, so I would
consider encryption in any case.

On 12/11/2015 8:33 AM, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?

Not broadcasting to everyone in the world that you'll be away for 3 months
would be a step in the right direction.

Thinking about it for 10 minutes, I'd have to rent a storage locker
to store all the stuff I have around here that might help an identity
thief.

Many robberies happen when you're not away for three months.
If you have sensitive info on your computer, you might consider
encrypting it. Copy it to external media first so you'll have it
after you forget your encryption key...or you get run over by a truck
and your heirs need the info.

Any passwords you care about should not be stored on your computer.
I don't care if someone reads my emails. I do care if someone
accesses my bank account. That password should not be stored on
the computer. I access my financial accounts from a sandbox,
so it leaves no (easily accessible) footprint on the system.

On 12/12/2015 05:07, mike wrote:
On 12/11/2015 8:33 AM, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?

Not broadcasting to everyone in the world that you'll be away for 3 months
would be a step in the right direction.

Thinking about it for 10 minutes, I'd have to rent a storage locker
to store all the stuff I have around here that might help an identity
thief.

Many robberies happen when you're not away for three months.
If you have sensitive info on your computer, you might consider
encrypting it.

Good advice.

Copy it to external media first so you'll have it
after you forget your encryption key...or you get run over by a truck
and your heirs need the info.

The unencrypted copy should be kept in a safe place, though.


Any passwords you care about should not be stored on your computer.

Nor in any other place, I'd say. Only store a reminder, whatever works
best for you (and for you only).
If your password is "1234" (just joking!), then store "I am being silly"


I don't care if someone reads my emails. I do care if someone
accesses my bank account. That password should not be stored on
the computer. I access my financial accounts from a sandbox,
so it leaves no (easily accessible) footprint on the system.

However, if someone can read your emails, they could also access some
associated accounts by asking a password reset link being sent to your
email address. Not your bank account, probably, but some other personal
accounts, maybe.

On 12/11/2015 11:39 AM, Good Guy wrote:
On 11/12/2015 16:33, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?
Backup your data on Microsoft One Drive and then delete them from your
puter.

It's NOT backup wen you have only one copy.

On 12/12/2015 20:59, Sam E wrote:

It's NOT backup wen you have only one copy.

Microsoft creates backups for you. It is more secure than keeping it
in-house.



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On Sat, 12 Dec 2015 14:59:24 -0600, Sam E
wrote:

On 12/11/2015 11:39 AM, Good Guy wrote:
On 11/12/2015 16:33, Dave C wrote:
We will be away from our house for ~3 months. My desktop PC (Win 10)
will be left at our house. While robberies are Extremely rare, I would
not want my data to be accessable to any potential thief.

How can I best protect my data, from a potential thief, while away?
Backup your data on Microsoft One Drive and then delete them from your
puter.

It's NOT backup wen you have only one copy.



It perhaps should no longer be called a backup after you delete the
original, but it's a backup when you create it, and that's what he
said.

Ken