Avoid Personal Tasks on Your Work Computer
Whether you work remotely or in an office, the line between personal and work tasks can become blurred when working on your company computer. If you’re in front of a computer for most of your time during work, it’s easy to get attached to your desktop PC. Over time, this can lead to doing personal tasks on a work computer. Initially, it might just be checking personal email during lunch, but it can quickly escalate to using your work computer for personal tasks as much as work tasks.
In a survey of over 900 employees, only 30% said they never used their work PC for personal activities. The other 70% admitted to using their work computer for personal reasons. Some of the non-work-related things people do on a work computer include:
- Reading and sending personal email
- Scanning news headlines
- Shopping online
- Online banking
- Checking social media
- Streaming music
- Streaming videos/movies
It’s a bad idea to mix work and personal, no matter how convenient it may seem. This could lead to reprimands, data breaches, or even losing your job. Here are several things you should never do on your work PC.
1. Save Your Personal Passwords in the Browser
Many people manage their passwords by allowing their browser to save and auto-fill them. This can be convenient, but it’s not very secure if you lose access to that PC. If the computer is taken away for an upgrade, repair, or termination, someone else could access your saved passwords and your cloud accounts. Some companies donate old computers, which could result in a stranger having access to your passwords if the PC hasn’t been properly wiped.
2. Store Personal Data
It’s easy to get in the habit of storing personal data on your work computer, especially if your home PC doesn’t have much storage space. But this can lead to several major problems:
- Loss of files if you lose access to the PC
- Company-wide access to your personal files, especially if your company has a backup system in place
Many companies back up employee devices to prevent data loss. If your personal files are stored on your work computer, they could be accessible to others in the company, even if you’d rather they weren’t.
3. Visit Sketchy Websites
Assume that anything you do on a work device is being monitored. Many companies use cybersecurity measures like DNS filtering to protect against phishing websites. These same measures may alert your employer if you visit websites deemed dangerous. Never visit any website on your work computer that you wouldn’t be comfortable having your boss see.
4. Allow Friends or Family to Use It
When working remotely, it may seem harmless to let a friend or family member use your work computer. However, allowing others to use it could constitute a breach of data protection regulations, putting your company at risk of penalties. Even worse, a child or friend who isn’t cybersecurity-savvy could visit a phishing site and infect your device, putting your company’s data at risk.
At least 20% of companies have experienced a data breach during the pandemic due to remote work.
5. Turn Off Company-Installed Apps Like Backups and Antivirus
While it may seem tempting to turn off a backup process that slows down your PC, doing so can leave your data unprotected. Company-installed apps are usually there for business continuity and cybersecurity. These should not be turned off unless specifically authorized by your supervisor or your company’s IT team.
How Secure is the Device You Use to Work from Home?
Whether you’re working remotely and worried about data breaches or are a business owner securing multiple remote team members, device protection is crucial. Contact us at contact@dvnt.ca to schedule a device security checkup.