Patched, locked, and encrypted

Three basic device habits do a large share of the work in keeping a home setup secure: keeping software up to date, locking the screen, and making sure the disk is encrypted.

Keep everything up to date

Software updates are not just new features; they are mostly security fixes for weaknesses that attackers are actively exploiting. This applies to the operating system, the browser, and the applications you use daily. Turn on automatic updates wherever they are offered, and when a device asks to restart to finish installing an update, let it. Postponing updates for weeks leaves you exposed to problems that already have a published fix.

Lock your screen, every time

Lock your device whenever you step away, even at home. On Windows the shortcut is the Windows key plus L; on a Mac it is Control-Command-Q. Set the screen to lock automatically after a short period of inactivity as a backstop, but don't rely on the timeout alone, because the gap before it kicks in is exactly when a curious child or visitor wanders past. A locked screen also protects you from accidents, like a family member replying to your open email thread.

Encryption protects a lost or stolen device

Full disk encryption means that if your laptop is stolen, the thief gets hardware but not data. Work-issued devices normally have this enabled centrally through tools like BitLocker or FileVault. If you use a personal device for any work purpose, check that encryption is switched on; on modern systems it usually is, but it's worth confirming rather than assuming.

These three habits cost almost nothing day to day. Together they mean that common events, a stolen laptop, an unattended screen, an old unpatched flaw, stop being incidents and become non-events.