First, make sure you are using a strong password. The password for your Google account is also your password for your Chromebook. Experts suggest using a combination of upper and lowercase letters, along with non-alphabetic characters, such as numbers or symbols. Others suggest using a passphrase rather than a password. It’s also a good idea to use two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your account. 2FA requires that you confirm all logins with your phone before the login is successful. It’s a great thing to have enabled for your account for maximum safety. Without this toggle, anyone can log in and use your Chromebook as if it was theirs. By locking the Chromebook down to select users, your lost Chromebook is less useful to others who may be inclined to log in with their own account. Also in this area is another toggle you can turn on to Enable Guest browsing. With this option turned on, anyone can access the Chrome browser and use it without logging in at all. However, the account is destroyed when they leave—no files, bookmarks, or web history is retained. It’s a good way to let someone borrow your Chromebook without giving them the ability to make any changes to it. Alternatively, if you really want to lock the Chromebook down, you can turn this toggle off. If you want to check for updates manually, you can do so by clicking the clock > Settings cog. Then click the hamburger menu (three lines stacked on top of each other) > About Chrome OS > Check for updates. Chromebooks have six different ways to enter sleep mode, and require a password to unlock: If you leave your Chromebook unattended, it’s a good idea to lock it by any of these methods, so no one else can use it. From this screen you can sign out of your Chromebook, which won’t help you recover the Chromebook, but it will keep your data safe. Your account and all its information are removed from the device.
Only install extensions from the official Chrome extension store. Google scans all extensions to make sure they’re safe before they’re listed in the store.Before you install an extension, look into the developer. You can typically find the developer below the name of the extension. It says “Offered by:” followed by a name. Do they have a website, or other web presence, like a GitHub site? If they don’t, be wary.Read the entire description of a Chrome extension. It’s easy to just skim over the description, but there may be references in there to your privacy, or specific permissions the extension asks for. Pay attention to the specific permissions the extension wants. Does an ad blocker need access to your location? Probably not. Read reviews for the extension. If the reviews are all positive and all say basically the same thing, be careful. Paid reviews occur in the Chrome store just like they do on other review sites.Be suspicious of valuable services being offered for free. Remember the old saying, if you’re not paying for a product, you are the product.
Finally, there’s one last general tip about extensions. Don’t install any more extensions than you absolutely need. While Chrome extensions can make your browser or Chromebook a more powerful experience, too many extensions can slow your browser down. If some kind of malicious software did make it onto the computer, it would be stuck inside whatever app or browser tab it was running in. It would subsequently be destroyed when that app or tab was closed Further, even if an app managed to get outside of that sandboxed environment, every time you start up a Chromebook, the computer runs a self-check and looks for altered files. If it finds any, it corrects them. All the being said, most Chromebooks can install apps from the Google Play store which is not immune from malware and other malicious software. Like Chrome extensions, it’s important to be mindful of what you’re installing, and more importantly the permissions you’re giving to those apps.
