Device & Account Security

Most of us use our phones and laptops every day without ever checking whether they are actually set up to keep us safe. This course is a plain-English guide to doing exactly that, one step at a time.

You do not need to be technical. You do not need to have had anything go wrong. This course is for anyone who wants to understand what is on their devices, who can access them, and what the sensible settings actually do. Each lesson explains not just what to change, but why it matters in real, everyday terms.

What this course covers

The course works through 21 lessons covering everything from the basics to some more advanced techniques for those who want to go further. You can work through them in order or go straight to the topics most relevant to you.

Lessons cover:

• Lock screen PINs and why the length of your PIN is more important than most people realise
• How Face ID, Touch ID, and Android fingerprint recognition work, including the situations where they are not the right choice
• Why restarting your phone once a week is a recognised security measure, not just a tip from a tech-savvy relative
• The risk of plugging your phone into a public USB charging port, and the simple alternatives that avoid it entirely
• What someone can access within 60 seconds of picking up an unlocked phone, and the settings that close each of those gaps
• Webcam and microphone hygiene, how to read the indicator lights on your device, and how to check which apps are actively using them
• How to turn on automatic updates on Android, iOS, and Windows, and why leaving them off is a concrete risk rather than a vague one
• How to review the apps on your phone, remove the ones you no longer use, and take back the permissions they were quietly holding onto
• How to check which apps have access to your location, contacts, and files, and what the different permission levels actually mean in practice
• Firmware updates for routers, smart TVs, and household appliances that do not have an obvious update button
• How to set up login notifications so you find out immediately if someone signs into your accounts on an unknown device
• Preventing a thief from using your lock screen to turn on Aeroplane Mode or access your settings before you can lock the phone remotely
• Setting up Find My Device on Android and Apple Find My, including how they work even when a phone has no signal
• What remote wipe does and does not protect, and how to prepare a plan for a lost or stolen device before you ever need it
• Setting up Emergency SOS and In Case of Emergency contact information via the power button
• What full-disk encryption means on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and how to check that it is switched on
• The risks of using Bluetooth and AirDrop in public places, and the simple habits that reduce them
• For those who want to go further: running suspicious files in a safe, disposable environment on Windows before opening them properly
• For those who want to go further: Android’s Advanced Protection Mode, a single switch that locks USB ports, blocks certain network connections, and adds extra layers to sensitive settings
• Why the default name your phone or laptop broadcasts on Wi-Fi networks reveals more about you than you might expect

Who this course is for

This course assumes no prior knowledge. It works well for anyone who has recently bought a new device, parents who are setting up phones or laptops for other family members, and anyone who has a nagging feeling their settings have never really been checked. Jargon is explained on first use throughout.