Do you lock your PC monitor in work when stepping away?

[asblindasabat]

Anytime I’m stepping away from my monitor, for example, if I’m going on my tea break or nipping to the loo, I always lock my monitor.

I’d like to think my colleagues would be more mature, but I wouldn’t like the idea of them going on my account whilst I’m away and looking through my files and emails, some are confidential.

I don’t ever really see my colleagues lock their monitors when they step away, they always seem to just leave them open and anyone could access their accounts.

Do people actually lock their monitors or is it just me?

One if you've got my wireless keyboard.

Having worked in accounts departments for many years, yes. It is second nature and was drummed into me a long time ago. If I'm working on something confidential or logged into online banking for instance, I don't even leave my desk.

Yes or colleagues/boss will Google something scary and leave it open on your screen
(It's actually a specific thing but very identifying!)

Never but there's nothing confidential on there. I wouldn't have anything on my work computer that I wouldn't want my colleagues to see.

Yes - so conditioned to it after 20 years that I even do it when I wfh now

Yes because there's a program on my computer that other people will try to use instead of walking to the computer five seconds away that they're meant to use

I trust my immediate colleagues, it's just if our office is empty and a salesperson happens to come in. I don't trust any sales people

Yep, it's part of our data security policy plus it's common sense.

Yes, I do every time. Partly because my dad works in IT security so drilled it into me growing up, and partly because I work for the NHS so have confidential information to protect. Sad to say I'm pretty much the only person in our department that does this. 🤦🏻‍♀️

We’re supposed to but hardly anybody does. They do automatically lock after about 5 minutes of inactivity. We use a small office and I really don’t think anybody would sit at someone else’s desk and start looking through their laptop, it would be very obvious to anybody else in the room, I would trust my colleagues. That said we do all use a shared network which were supposed to keep everything on so outside of emails most people won’t have anything privately accessible to only them on their laptops and we don’t typically have individual access to lots of very confidential information. If I did happen to be having a confidential email conversation or similar I probably would be more mindful and lock the screen to ensure nobody saw.

Yes. I work in a school and some students put something offensive up on another teachers projector and changed the password once which always reminds me to do it.

Gosh I’m glad so many of you do lock your monitors as I thought it was only a minority!

I don’t know why my colleagues aren’t fussed on it, I never leave my PC without locking!

No but I’m the only employee at my work, it’s just me and the boss. If I leave the office for lunch or go to an appointment when he’s out I’ll lock it but if I’m getting a cup of tea or anything then no.

Old job, where the person who always took any opportunity to send an email declaring ‘your’ undying love for someone/the whole office sat beside me, I wouldn’t even turn around without locking it, nevermind leaving the computer.

Didn’t know that WindowsL would lock the computer so glad I clicked this thread.

Yes, always. Even if my job didn't require it I'd probably still do it as I studied together with a twat who found it funny to download porn on other people's computers. Luckily I didn't own a personal computer back then but I was grateful to learn of the twattiness.

I don't lock mine but there's nothing confidential on there. The only people who have confidential things on their PC at my work are the office manager and payroll staff.

Always, it's GDPR requirement at my workplace.

Place I used to work, the IT guy would flip people's screen upside down if he spotted they had left theirs unlocked, then they'd have to go and ask for it to be put right, usually so embarrassed they never did it again

Yes absolutely!!

Windows + L

I have access to confidential personal data so must protect it.

I also i every-time I step away from work laptop when I'm WFH! (And I have a separate work study & teenagers that would never touch it).

Surprised at your colleagues, OP.