Windows 8 Hacks

Chapter 8. Security

Windows 8 is the most secure version of Windows yet released, but that doesn’t make you free of dangers. Even when you use Windows 8, your PC is frequently at risk—just connect to the Internet and there are malware peddlers and other evil-doers out to do you harm, steal your private information, or even turn your PC into a spam-spewing zombie.

In this chapter, you’ll learn how to dig deep into Windows to make sure that you’re well protected, and then customize it so that you’re protected in exactly the way you want. So this chapter includes hacks to do things such as hack the Windows firewall, use BitLocker encryption to protect USB flash drives as well as your hard disk, create a safe Windows 8 “picture password,” create restore disks if your system ever crashes, better protect yourself on your home network, and much more.

Hack #78. Keep Portable Storage Secure with BitLocker to Go

If you’ve got Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise, you’ve got an excellent built-in security tool for protecting your portable storage: BitLocker to Go. Here’s how to use it.

USB flash drives (often called thumb drives) are ubiquitous. You’ve likely used them many times because they carry tremendous amounts of storage in a small package. But they’re also easy to misplace or even lose to theft. And that means whatever files you’ve stored on the drive can be viewed by anyone who finds it.

Not if you use BitLocker to Go, though. BitLocker to Go is a security feature built into Windows 8 Pro or Enterprise ...