If you’re like most people, you probably spend a good chunk of your day at work. And, if you’re like most people, you probably also use your work computer for personal tasks. Whether you work remotely or in an office, the line between personal and work tasks can become blurred. This can lead to doing personal things on a work computer – which is never a good idea. In fact, it can be downright dangerous.
Here are a few tasks you should probably consider not doing on your work computer:
- Saving Personal Passwords in Your Work Browser – Saving passwords in your work browser can be extremely risky. If someone were to gain access to your computer, they could easily get the username and password for any sites you’ve saved.
- Saving Personal Data – Saving personal data such as bank account numbers, Social Security Numbers, etc. on your work computer is a huge no-no. Not only could this data be accessed by anyone who has access to your computer, it could also be compromised if the computer were to become infected with malware or ransomware.
- Allow Others To Use Your Work Computer – It’s never a good idea to allow others, such as friends or family members, to use your work computer. Not only could they access sensitive information on the computer, but they could also inadvertently download malware or viruses that can cause damage.
- Disable Company-Managed Programs – Company-managed programs are installed for a reason. Disabling them can open up your company to security risks and could lead to data breaches or other cyber threats.
The reality is, no matter how careful you are, using your work computer for personal tasks can be very dangerous. According to a survey conducted by SplashData, 70% of employees admit to using their work computer for personal reasons.
This can be a huge liability for employers, so it’s important to your company’s policy when using your work computer for personal tasks, but it can also put you and your organization at risk. So the next time you think about using your work computer for anything other than work-related tasks, think twice. You may want to consider using your personal computer instead.
