Tip of the Week: Dynamic Lock Isn’t Perfect, But It’s A Start

You’ve been told that it’s a best practice to ensure that you never leave your workstation without locking it first. Yet, if you’re only stepping away for a few minutes, it might be tempting to just allow it to remain unlocked. But what happens when you step away for longer than expected? You leave your computer exposed to all manners of threats. Thankfully, a new solution allows for a fix with a device that most are never without: the smartphone.

This trick lies in your computer having the Windows 10 Creators Update installed, which lets you connect your phone to your PC through Bluetooth. This helps your PC automatically lock itself when the two are separated. Thanks to a piconet, a type of short-range radio wave network that keeps Bluetooth devices working properly, this security measure is possible. Of course, the strength of the piconet will determine how far from your PC the device can be before the computer locks.

This Creators Update can help you create a piconet between your desktop and phone, which keeps Dynamic Lock from activating. If you remove the phone from the piconet’s range, Dynamic Lock will lock your computer to keep unauthorized users from using it.

Just keep in mind that Dynamic Lock is far from instantaneous. The device needs to be out of range, and the computer needs time to register that the connection has been severed. Only then will Dynamic Lock activate. Keeping this in mind, it’s still more secure to implement Dynamic Lock than leaving your computer unlocked all the time.

How to Set Up Dynamic Lock
To pair your phone to your PC, you want to confirm with your IT department that it won’t be an issue. Just reach out to them before following this procedure.

First, enable Bluetooth on your mobile device that you want to pair with your PC. Open Settings and access Bluetooth & Other Devices. Next, click Add Bluetooth or Other Device, which will prompt the Add a device box.

Once you’ve done this, select Bluetooth. Windows may take a moment to find your device, but once it does, it will prompt you to confirm a code that displays on both of your devices. Once you’ve done so and click Done, you’ll be brought back to the Bluetooth & Other Devices page in your Settings, where you can see your connected device.

Select Home and navigate to Accounts, where you’ll want to select Sign-In Options. You’ll find Dynamic Lock, where you check the box called Allow Windows to Detect When You’re Away and Automatically Lock the Device. Restart your PC to make sure the settings have been changed, and you’ll be all set. The only thing left to do is try it out!

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