CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

accounts (tied to a specific computer and user) rule. Windows and macOS
split the difference, supporting traditional local user accounts as well as the
ability to log in with your Microsoft or Apple account, respectively.
You can set up a local machine connected to the Internet to connect to a
global account. That global account functions like a local account but adds
the benefit of synchronizing some of your stuff with the global account
settings. My custom desktop picture at home, for example, matches the
desktop picture on my laptop computer. I’ve logged in to both machines with
my Microsoft account.
NOTE Global user account is my term. Each company uses specific
naming for its accounts, such as a Microsoft account, Apple ID, or Gmail
account. Still, you get the idea, right?
Creating a user account (local or global) not only adds a user name to a
database, it also generates several folders on a computer. In Windows, for
example, each user account gets unique personal folders, such as Documents,
Desktop, Pictures, Music, and more. By default, only a person logged in as a
specific user can access the personal folders for that user account. So, the
next step is to secure that local user account.
Passwords
Passwords help secure user accounts. Protect your passwords. Never give out
passwords over the phone. If someone learns your user name and password,
he or she can log on to your computer. Even if the user account has only
limited permissions—perhaps it can only read files, not edit them—you still
have a security breach.
Make your users choose good passwords. I once attended a security
seminar, and the speaker had everyone stand up. She then began to ask
questions about our passwords—if we responded yes to the question, we
were to sit down. She began to ask questions like these:
“Do you use the name of your spouse as a password?”