How can you protect data on your mobile computing and portable electronic devices (PEDs)?

Enabling automatic screen locking after a period of inactivity is an effective method to safeguard data on mobile computing and portable electronic devices (PEDs). This security measure ensures that if a device is left unattended, it will automatically lock after a specified duration, requiring a password, PIN, or biometric authentication to access it again. This helps protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, particularly in environments where devices could be easily left unattended or lost.

Contrastingly, sharing devices with friends, keeping devices fully unlocked, and avoiding antivirus software pose significant risks to data security. Sharing devices compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the data, while an unlocked device is susceptible to unauthorized access. Not using antivirus software leaves devices vulnerable to malware and cyber threats, which can lead to data breaches. Therefore, enabling automatic screen locking is a crucial step in maintaining the security of your data on PEDs.