One way to maintain security on our computers is by logging in with a username and password. On some occasions, for convenience, we may decide that we do not need to enter a password every time we start our operating system. If we do it like this, do we run any risk? In this article we will see if logging in without a password can compromise the security and privacy of our devices.
Both to log into Windows and to use our various accounts, we usually use a password to authenticate and access. Without a doubt, the access password is our first line of defense against cybercriminals and curious people. Here we are going to explain how to create a strong password, the different types of login that we can use, and which are the most secure.
Create a strong password for our login
The safety of our equipment must be taken seriously. The password we have to log in can be a determining factor for our security. A password or password can be defined as a form of authentication that uses secret information to control access to some resource. Here we are going to refer to our computer. In this sense, we must also keep that password a secret for those who do not want to allow it access.
When building a strong password, it must contain a number of elements. A good key should contain uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols, such as the $. Also, it should have a recommended minimum length of 12 characters.
Another thing to keep in mind is that we must change our passwords periodically , or if you suspect that your password has been stolen. Nor should we forget that it is bad practice to reuse passwords. As we are often going to have to handle many passwords, a good solution is to use a password manager .
Login without password and other types of login
Now we are going to discuss the types of logins that we can find. We are going to use Windows 10 as an example, although it could be applied to other operating systems. In that sense, we could find three types of login:
- Login with password : when our computer is turned on we have to select or write our username, and then type the password. We will not be able to use the computer with all its functions until we enter our passwords correctly. Without a doubt, it is the safest way but also the one that requires a little more effort.
- Login without password : occurs when the user does not have a password. Then anyone can easily access the content on that computer. In short, it is the one that is most dangerous for our security.
- Automatic login : in this case we have a user with a password. The difference is that we, without having to do anything, will enter Windows as if we had entered a username and password, so security is also dire. It is usually used at home or in trusted sites, the danger is if the computer is stolen, or just anyone turns it on and extracts the information that interests them.
From what you can see, logging in without a password can constitute a significant risk to our security. Now we are going to illustrate it with an example so that you can understand it better.
Example of login without password is dangerous
At some point, we may need to retrieve the password for a website. For example, let’s say we want to write them all down in a password manager that we talked about before. So, one of the simplest possibilities is to look at it in that Internet browser that we use to enter that website or social network. We are going to use Google Chrome to do so, we open the browser and in the upper right corner we press the icon with the three vertical dots to enter options. Next, click on Settings .
Then we go to Privacy and Security , and in the Autocomplete section we click on Passwords . So, to see the password, click on the eye icon to see it. In case of having a login with password or automatic, this screen would appear:
If we want to see it, we have to enter the password of our Windows user. On the other hand, if we choose to log in without a password, we do not have this protection measure and anyone could see our stored passwords. Therefore, for that reason, from this article we recommend the login with a password and for very specific cases, the automatic one.
