With the rise in Work From Home (WFH) and other flexible working arrangements, more office workers are getting company-issued laptops than ever before. Whether it is a PC or a Macbook, they all come with one thing in common – an expectation of them being used by employees for work purposes. Whatever your workplace issues as a computer, there are some ground rules that you should follow to keep everyone safe. It’s not just your company’s data you need to be concerned about but also the personal privacy of the one using the computer as well.
So here are the 8 best practices that you and your staff should follow when using a company computer:
8. Store Personal Files – If you have a work laptop, the chances are high that you’ve been tempted to use it as a dual-use computer with mixed personal and work files. After all, it’s just easier to do everything from one device, right? But that’s not a good idea, and it also has to do with your personal security. The problem with work devices is that they’re the property of the company, and often come with monitoring software, remote admin rights, or any number of things that you don’t want anywhere near your personal information. Even if those don’t apply to the laptop work issued to you, if you’re terminated for any reason, the first thing they’ll want back is that laptop. If they have remote admin rights, they’ll lock you out immediately. If they get the laptop back, your files will be wiped. Even worse, if the company is sued for any reason, your personal files are fair game to the investigators. The other thing is that many companies have data wiping policies if they detect an intrusion, like malware or ransomware, to avoid infecting the rest of the network. If that happens, any information on your laptop will be wiped, often without warning, and you’ll be left without your private documents. This applies even if you think accessing your online storage through a browser is safe, as that will still be cached locally and could cause issues. Keep your work and personal files on separate devices and everyone will be happier.
7. Sign Into Online Banking – Since it’s your work laptop, you should assume that you don’t have personal privacy on it. Any web traffic could be monitored, and if nothing else they are looking malware and other threats. You wouldn’t type your ATM PIN in while someone is looking over your shoulder, so you probably wouldn’t feel comfortable signing in to your personal online banking portal from a work laptop. Install your bank’s app on your personal smartphone or your personal computer if you want to check on banking related things, because then it’s private and secured with biometrics.
6. Save Passwords To Personal Websites In Your Browser – The password manager in your browser is more advanced than it used to be, with the ability to sync your login details with anywhere your account is logged in. That’s why it’s important not to sign in to your Edge, Chrome, Brave, or Firefox personal account on the browser you use for work. If your workplace has a password manager for essential work services, then by all means, install it either as an app or a browser extension, but don’t let your browser save any of the secrets that get entered into login fields. This is good security practice, and it ensures that both your workplace and your personal accounts are secure at the same time.
5. Open Websites That Are Not Work Related – Maybe this shouldn’t need to be said, but a disturbing large number of people use work computers to research, access, or even create things that aren’t suitable for work environments. Unless your specific work function is related to these activities, you shouldn’t be navigating to them in a web browser on company property. it’s not just objectionable content that you should avoid. Personal web searches should be kept on your personal devices, where they belong. Otherwise, you run the risk of embarrassing searches coming to the knowledge of your employer, whether that’s related to medical issues or things like browsing job boards for potential career changes. A good rule of thumb you can follow is – “Would I be embarrassed if this came up at the next all-hands meeting?” That goes for company messaging apps as well, where gossiping could get you and the people you’re talking to in trouble if the company sees it in stored logfiles.
4. Allow Friends & Family To Use It – It may be tempting to let friends or family use whatever computer you are using at the time. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple when the device you’re using is a work laptop. This is because the expectation is that you are responsible for everything that happens on that device. Even if they don’t see any company information, or accidentally delete files, or any number of disastrous situations, the use of that computer by anyone but you could be a breach of data protection regulations. That might get your company in legal trouble, and if so, you’re also liable.
In a statistic published by Malware Byes: over 20% of companies that responded to their survey about pandemic Work From Home (WFH) security said the company had faced a security breach as a result of a remote worker. Be sure you lock the screen while you are away, even while at home, and never leave it unattended in a public place.
3. Turn Off Company Installed Software – A work laptop always remains the property of the employer, and it’s important not to treat it as your own device. It is never your property, and the software and apps installed on it also belong to the company you work for. Even something seemingly trivial, like uninstalling an app you never use, can be seen as a violation of the company policy. Turning off antivirus or not using the company VPN can bring consequences. Never disable any security features, including inactivity lock-outs, screen locks, or login passwords. It’s also a good idea to use Windows Hello for biometric login, if possible, so that you are the only person that can access that device. Also remember to lock your device when not actively using it, even if you think you’ll only be away from it for a few minutes.
2. Play Games – It’s tempting to open Cookie Clicker or browser-based games during a quiet time at work. It’s not a good idea to give into the temptation though because gaming websites & downloads can contain malicious software that can find its way on to your company’s computer systems. Use your own personal devices for this, and please don’t do that during company time either!
1 Browse Social Media – You should treat your work computer as if it’s being actively monitored, and that means no social media use unless your role is to create and post company related content on social media. I advise against using your social media apps on your personal phone during work unless you have a break and it doesn’t go against company policy.
Your work laptop should be treated as an extension of your workplace. The most important thing to always remember when using your work laptop is that it isn’t actually yours. None of the programs are yours, but all the responsibility for what’s done on that laptop is yours, unfortunately. Treat it like your car keys or your wallet, and keep it close and safe and used only for the tasks that you need to accomplish at work.