How to Set BIOS or UEFI Passwords and Secure Computer
Computers have become an integrated part of our daily life. It’s more like an organ of our system now a days, less a digital assistant. We always safeguard our personal things and our computer or laptop tops this list. The protection of our PC and the data within it is all important to us. A mere windows or Linux account password would not hold back tech savvy peoples from booting your computer from other bootable devices and finally wiping out your data.
Why not data encryption? You are right. You can prevent anyone from accessing your computers precious data by encrypting your hard drives. Admittedly, it will not be able to block them to wipe out the same by installing another Operating system erasing the existing one. We need further security. Right? Bios or UEFI password gives you that extra layer of security.
A computer with valuable data and less security is vulnerable to the outsiders. But you can secure your computer with BIOS or UEFI password by providing extra protection. As I have mentioned earlier, Windows, Linux, or Mac passwords just prevent anonymous people from login into your operating system. But there are so many other ways to mess with your device. One can override your current operating system with a new one or get access to your sensitive data. BIOS or UEFI password is exactly the thing we need here.
The possible ways in which harm can happen to your computer
If someone with proper knowledge has physical access to your computer then they can easily restart your computer with a CD/DVD inside your dvd writer and boot from that, or they can insert a bootable USB device and do the same. A successful installation of a new operating system will be a few clicks away then. After that what they can do with your hard drives is really not that hard to assume.
But, if you lock your computer from BIOS using strong UEFI password then, they will not be able to access your BIOS to change the boot option priority before doing all these damages. It is really needed for those who use their system to keep a record of their financial, business data or even passwords. One can still open your system case and get your hard drive. And the hard drive can be used with another system to get your data.
I assume you have encrypted your hard drives already. Moreover, It’s always tough for anyone to steal your hard drive rather than just plugging in a bootable USB drive in it
How to set BIOS Password
For a pre-window 8 computer, to get into the BIOS screen you will need to restart your computer first. When boot-up process will be started, simply press the proper key to open up the BIOS screen. Usually, the keys are F2, Delete, Esc, F1 or F10. It varies based on a motherboard’s model.
· In the BIOS setting screen, under the security tab you will get the password option. You can set password for preventing one to enter to your BIOS settings from there. thankfully, you can also set a password to boot your system. On the lower right corner of the screen, you will find a list of keys, which will be required to navigate through the screen. When you have done setting your password, you can save and exit the BIOS settings.
How to set UEFI Password
Users, who own a windows 8 pc just go through the next few steps of this paragraph. It will surely guide you to set the UEFI password from its settings screen. But one thing needs to be noted. If you have upgraded your system to windows 8, means installed windows 8 operating system to your old PC; you may not have the UEFI settings. In this condition you have to access your BIOS settings.
· Firstly, go the settings option on your Windows 8 metro start screen.Then hit the ‘change PC settings’ button. Now select “General” from left hand panel and scroll down the page. Click on the restart now button under Advanced start-up. When the system will restart second time, it will show you the boot menu. Select the troubleshoot tile from the boot menu. Now go to the advanced options on the Troubleshoot page.Now you will get UEFI firmware settings tile in the advanced option page. You need to restart again to make any changes in UEFI settings.
Every single time from now on, the system will open with UEFI settings and hopefully it should provide you with a password option which will work alike BIOS passwords.
Make your personal computer even more professional one if you are running a cyber cafe or so. If you belong to the majority part, then start to think on it before it’s too late. It is your responsibility to keep secures your system and data.