Secure Your Computer With Dynamic Lock

Secure Your Computer With Dynamic Lock

What is one of the most distressing parts of security? Staying secure. Partnering a computer with a human leaves a lot to be desired. Computers are not always instinctive, and computers are not quite capable of thinking like a human(though Artificial Intelligence is growing rapidly). Every human is not as structured and adaptable as computers are.

For example, your computer stays awake while you use it. When you walk away from your computer, sometimes you forget to lock the screen. Even if you only plan to be away from your desk for less than 5 minutes, that’s more than enough time for someone else to steal data.

Getting up from your desk to grab a coffee or a quick snack is enough time for someone to walk past your desk and see that sensitive document on your screen or for an outsider to steal data from one of the applications or websites you are still logged into. While this is happening, your computer has no idea that you have walked away from your desk.

Locking your computer when you’re not there is one of the easiest ways you can secure sensitive and confidential data. It is also one of those things that people can forget to do!

Secure Your Computer by Locking It When You Walk Away

Security best practices insist that employees should never leave their workstations unlocked. However, we understand how easy it can be to leave your workstation unlocked if you only plan to be away for a few minutes.

Unfortunately, the 5 minutes you plan to be away from your workstation can easily turn into 30 minutes if you are distracted from returning to your workstation. With some businesses and organizations transitioning to hot desking or shared office environments, the need to ensure your computer is secured is greater than it has ever been.

Your computer can be set to automatically lock the screen when you walk away from it. Don’t worry, this doesn’t happen through the use of a tracking device that has been implanted somewhere on your body. It happens by tethering your phone to your computer. Once your phone is no longer within Bluetooth range, voila! Your computer is locked!

How Can I Lock My Computer When I Am Away?

Windows has a great feature, Dynamic Lock. When Dynamic Lock is enabled, you will be able to walk away from your laptop or desktop PC and have it lock automatically.

You need to pair your smartphone (can be used with both Android and iOS devices) via Bluetooth during the setup process. You can connect your phone to your computer via Bluetooth so that your computer will automatically lock if the two devices are separated. This is achieved with the help of an ‘‘ad hoc network that links a wireless user group of devices using Bluetooth technology protocols”, referred to as piconet. Depending on the piconet’s strength, the devices can remain connected even while the distance increases.

This is only part of what makes this process so neat! Since Dynamic Lock is proximity-based, you will not have to worry about your computer locking automatically while you are having a discussion about an upcoming project with a nearby colleague. This feature allows you to create this connection between your computer and your phone, which keeps the Dynamic Lock from activating. However, once the phone is no longer within range, Dynamic Lock will lock the computer, protecting your sensitive data from unauthorized access.

It is important to know that Dynamic Lock is far from instantaneous. For Dynamic Lock to take to activate, your device has to be out of range and your computer needs to be able to register the fact that the connection has been lost. Dynamic Lock is certainly more secure than leaving your computer unlocked.

How Can I Set Up Dynamic Lock?

Setting up Dynamic Lock on Your Windows 10 PC

Once you have confirmed your phone and your Windows 10 computer both have Bluetooth, the first thing you should do is pair your phone to Windows 10. Confirm that you have turned on Bluetooth on your phone. To pair your phone using Control Panel, do the following:

• Press the Windows key and type Control Panel into the search box.
• Under Hardware and Sound, click Add a device. Windows will begin scanning for nearby Bluetooth devices.
• Once the list of Bluetooth devices appears in the list, choose your mobile phone.

Now that you have successfully connected your phone via Bluetooth, you need to adjust your settings. On your computer, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. Scroll down until you see the Dynamic lock section and check the Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away box.

Dynamic Lock is now enabled on your computer, and it will automatically go into locked mode whenever you leave the area with your phone.

Setting up Dynamic Lock on Your Windows 11 PC

• Navigate to the Settings app that can be found in the Start Menu of your Windows 11 computer (If you prefer to use shortcuts, you can use the Windows+I keyboard combination).
• Click on the Bluetooth & devices option from the sidebar present on the Settings window.
• If Bluetooth is currently turned off, toggle the switch to the On position.
• Once Bluetooth is on, click on Add device at the top of the screen.
• Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone and pair it to your computer.

Now that Bluetooth has been enabled on both devices, you need to enable Dynamic Lock on your Windows 11 computer. On your Windows 11 computer, go to Settings > Accounts (left sidebar under Windows Settings) > Sign-in options > Dynamic lock (under the Additional settings section). Check the Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away box.

You have now enabled the Dynamic lock feature on your computer. Moving forward, your computer will automatically scan the phone that you have connected to your computer. When your phone is no longer within range of your computer, it will lock automatically. It can take up to 30 seconds for your computer to lock automatically.

Remember that this security feature is meant to lock your computer. When you return to your computer, you will need to enter your password to unlock your computer.

When you think of cybersecurity you often think of specialists and experts designing a security plan to protect your business from malicious actors. While that is part of it, cybersecurity comes in several forms and should be practiced by all employees. For more information about how to protect your sensitive and confidential data with managed IT security services, call Colorado Computer Support today at (719) 355-2440.