Learn a lot about PC security, but also made some cringeworthy mistakes. Here are some of the biggest!

I’ve picked up a few PC security tips in my time as a PCWorld editor, but I wasn’t born with that information. Yep, it’s been a gradual learning curve for me over many years of writing about security. I’ve also made some doozy security mistakes that I look back on now and just cringe. Here are some of the worst.

1. Using Public Wi-Fi Without Protection

I used to frequently connect to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, often without a VPN like the ones recommended by PCWorld, which would encrypt my data and mask my IP address. Many of these networks were open and unencrypted, making it possible for hackers to intercept sensitive information such as login credentials, personal messages, and financial data.

So far, I’ve been lucky not to suffer a major breach. However, I suspect my phone number may have been harvested from my PC and added to a spam call list. I started receiving near-daily calls from unknown foreign numbers after using public Wi-Fi at an airport in New York.

2. Leaving My Desktop PC Unprotected

For years, I didn’t take my desktop PC’s security seriously and didn’t even set a Windows password. Despite being frequently away from home and having various tradespeople coming and going, anyone could have turned it on and accessed my sensitive files.

Thankfully, nothing was stolen, but it was a wake-up call. Now, I always use Windows Hello so that only I can access my PC.

3. Weak Account Security

For a long time, my online accounts were secured only with a username and password, even though they contained highly sensitive documents like digital copies of my passport and birth certificate. This left them vulnerable to hackers.

In fact, one of my Dropbox passwords was confirmed compromised on the Dark Web by Norton 360 Deluxe’s monitoring service. Since then, I’ve enabled multi-factor authentication on as many accounts as possible. This way, even if a password is stolen, hackers still can’t gain access.

4. Borrowing a Friend’s HDD Led to a Virus

Once, a friend lent me a portable HDD to share some large Adobe InDesign files for a university project. Unfortunately, the drive also contained a pirated copy of a web app that installed a trojan virus when I clicked it.

Luckily, my antivirus caught and quarantined it before any serious damage occurred. Since then, I’ve been extremely cautious with external drives, assuming they could be infected.

5. Delaying My Windows 11 Upgrade

I had the funds to upgrade my gaming PC to Windows 11 but chose to spend the money elsewhere, leaving me on Windows 10. Without the upgrade, I miss out on the latest security improvements. After October 14, when Windows 10 reaches end-of-life, I’ll no longer receive essential security updates until I can afford a proper upgrade.