Professional computer technicians are incredibly useful for a range of computer issues, whether you’re battling malware, having hardware issues, running into software errors, or just reached the limit of your troubleshooting abilities. But a lot of repairs require the technician to have access to your device. If you have private or sensitive information on your device, computer repair privacy should be a concern.
Why You Should Think About Computer Repair Privacy
Some people think that repair shops should be too professional to snoop on your private data during a computer repair. And in most cases, that’s probably true. Many computer repair technicians have integrity and won’t access anything beyond what’s needed for the repair. But just because most drivers on the road are good drivers doesn’t mean we don’t still wear seatbelts. It’s still good to be cautious against the outliers and the unexpected.
And we just don’t know how big the computer repair privacy risks are. A 2021 study found privacy violations in over half of computer repairs where the device was left at the shop. Technicians viewed photos (both explicit and not), documents, and financial information. And in two cases, personal information was copied from the customer’s computer to another device.
This was a small study, done on sixteen repair shops across three months in Ontario, Canada. So that doesn’t mean these results are necessarily generalizable to all computer repair situations. But it’s still a good idea to be cautious. You can take some steps to protect your privacy before taking your device for repair.
How to Prepare Your Device to Protect Your Privacy
What options you have to protect your information before taking it in for computer repair depend on what kind of repair it needs. If you’re trying to retrieve data from a damaged hard drive or if you can’t turn on or operate the device, there aren’t a lot of options. But if you can still use it before you take it to the shop, here are some things you can do.
Clean Up Your Info
Move any files with sensitive data somewhere else, such as an external storage device. Log out of all your accounts. Delete any saved passwords. (Not sure how you’ll log in without your saved passwords? Consider moving them to a password manager instead.) If you already use a password manager, log out of that, too. Clear your browsing history, your cache, and your cookies in all your browsers. For any apps or programs that have sensitive data, log out or require a password to unlock them; uninstall them entirely if you can’t. And make sure none of your passwords are the same as your computer login password!
Encrypt Your Data
Some versions of operating systems come with a built-in encryption system (BitLocker for Windows, FileVault for Macs). If your device has a version of Windows or macOS that supports these, turn them on and encrypt any folders with personal information. For devices that don’t, there are lots of third-party encryption tools that will let you encrypt individual files, folders, and/or drives. Just make sure your encryption key is different from your computer login password!
Create a Local Profile
One of the biggest risks to privacy in computer repairs is that for many issues, technicians need to be able to log into the device. You may be able to get around this by creating a separate local account on your computer. A local account will let them access most computer functions without giving them access to any of the data on your account.
However, not every repair can be done from a local account. Especially if the issue is software-related, the technician may need administrator rights or to see programs installed on your profile to solve it. Don’t be afraid to ask what the minimum level of access they need is and if they can do the repair from a local account. If they ask for your password, ask them why. If they can’t give a good reason but insist you give them your password anyway, consider getting your computer repaired somewhere else.
Wipe Your Device
This is the nuclear option, but if you’re really concerned about computer repair privacy, it’s worth considering. They can’t snoop on your private information if there’s no information on the device. Make a backup of all of your data, then wipe or factory reset the device. This will leave a blank slate with nothing private for anyone to look at. (As a bonus, a complete reset can solve some device issues without paying for a professional repair!)
Protect Your Privacy at the Computer Repair Shop
Once you’ve prepared your device, there are steps you can take at the repair shop level to protect your privacy, too. Some shops will be more concerned about privacy than others. And often it depends on the people who work there as much as the company policies. If there are multiple computer repair shops in your area, don’t be afraid to shop around.
Find a Repair Technician You Trust
This, unfortunately, isn’t as easy as it sounds. You can start by checking reviews online or asking people you know for recommendations. Unfortunately, though, customers often don’t know if a computer repair technician has invaded their privacy. Some people advise choosing a big brand or national chain over a smaller shop, as a company with a brand to protect is more likely to be better about privacy. But since customers often don’t know about these violations, there’s no guarantee that will be the case.
If you have a computer-savvy person in your life who can do computer repairs, consider asking if you can pay them instead. They may be willing to earn some extra cash by helping with your issue, and you could avoid giving a stranger at a shop access to your device. If they’re not willing to do that or aren’t confident in fixing the issue you have, see if they’ll help you find a trustworthy repair shop instead.
Ask About Their Privacy Policy
When you take your computer to a repair shop, ask about their privacy policy. Many shops don’t have one at all. If they don’t, consider trying to find one that does. If they do, ask what steps they take to enforce it. Since very few shops actually have a privacy policy, there’s a good chance you’ll have to choose a shop that doesn’t have one. But asking about it helps make clear that there’s a demand for privacy in computer repair. That could drive long-term change.
Avoid Giving Login Information if Possible
It’s much harder for a computer repair technician to invade your privacy if they can’t log into your device. Avoid giving them your device password if possible. Some hardware repairs only need access to the physical device itself and the BIOS, which can be accessed without logging in. But many shops ask for your password whether or not they need it.
Ask what they need it for, if they really need it, or if they could do the work through a local profile instead. If it’s a repair you know they don’t need to log in for, you can refuse to give them the password. If they can’t give you a good reason why they need it (or tell you “it’s policy” or “we just require it anyway”), you can leave and go somewhere else.
Be aware that some shops will refuse to take your device if you won’t give them the password, even if they don’t need it. And some will take your device but tell you they won’t be able to check the repair or provide any warranty or guarantee without it.
Stay There for the Repair
This is best for repairs that are quick and straightforward, and not possible for every type of repair. But there’s not a lot of opportunity for someone to snoop around your device and violate your privacy if you’re present for the whole computer repair. Ask if it’s possible for you to be present, or for them to do the repair while you wait. Be willing to be flexible – they may not have time right at that moment, so be open to setting an appointment for a future date. But being there while they do the repair makes it much less likely they’ll be able to view or copy your private information.
Stay Alert After the Repair
That 2021 study didn’t look at what the technicians who viewed or copied private data did with it. There’s a chance that the ones who only viewed customers’ information were just curious. But copying private data can indicate more nefarious plans.
After you take your computer to a repair shop, watch for potential signs of privacy violation. Identity theft is the biggest risk if they got any identity or financial information. Watch your credit reports, review your bank and credit card statements for unusual charges, and stay alert for phishing messages. Most of the time, repair technicians are trustworthy and you don’t have anything to worry about. But it’s still a good idea to stay vigilant and be prepared if you have to take your computer to get repaired.
