If you’ve set up these tools to require a PIN or password for access, they’ll provide an extra level of protection for anyone with access to your computer. Certain password managers, such as 1Password and Bitwarden, offer encrypted file storage, through these tend to require paid subscriptions as well.Dropbox offers its own Vault feature that locks files behind an additional PIN, but you need a paid Dropbox storage plan to use it.While the Personal Vault was the best option for me as an existing OneDrive user, it’s not the only way to add extra protection to your documents. Microsoft automatically locks the vault after 20 minutes of inactivity on desktops and 3 minutes on mobile apps, at which point it asks for a new code. That means no one can access the vault without physical access to my devices along with Authy’s PIN, which in turn provides the sign-in code that Microsoft requires. After setting that up, I removed email as a sign-in option through Microsoft’s website. In my case, I’m using Authy to receive codes, and Authy’s desktop app is locked behind an extra PIN. Your email, for instance, is likely open to anyone who has access to your computer, in which case entering the code would be trivial, and using text messages for authentication has its own issues.Īs always, you should consider using an authentication app such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy to receive codes in the most secure way possible.
To unlock the vault, you need a code that Microsoft sends to the email or phone number associated with your account, but those defaults aren’t necessarily the most secure options.
To find the Personal Vault in Windows, just right-click the OneDrive icon. Still, the level of protection that Personal Vault provides in practice depends largely on how you set it up. (OneDrive also encrypts all files stored online, whether they’re in the Vault or not.) In theory, that means someone who breaches your OneDrive account or accesses your computer without permission would have a tougher time getting to those important documents. Viewing or modifying files in the OneDrive Personal Vault requires an additional code-sent via email or text message by default-and on Windows 10 or higher, Microsoft stores those files in a BitLocker-encrypted portion of your hard drive. That’s when I remembered Personal Vault, a feature of Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service that adds an extra layer of protection for important documents. This created a small dilemma: I didn’t want to delete the files or leave them out in the open on my hard drive, but I wasn’t keen on printing them out on reams of paper either. Between preparing for tax season and home refinancing, I’m sitting on a pile of PDFs, all full of detailed personal information. In recent weeks, I’ve amassed a substantial number of sensitive digital documents for entirely mundane reasons.
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