Things you should never do on your work computer
Do you constantly receive dubious emails from promotion companies? Are pop-ups flying around you? Has there ever been a hacking attempt on your Instagram? Then it might be that internet crazies realize that you are an easy target. Maybe it's time for an ICT refresher course. Not only for your own safety but also for the company you work for. Yes, this all sounds hugely exaggerated and risky, but really: you should handle that (work) computer a bit more carefully. We don't do this anymore in 2020.
Storing personal passwords = not smart
Most people use their work laptop for more than eight hours a day. Do you take it home afterwards and also use your laptop for personal purposes? Then definitely say ‘no‘ when websites ask you to save your password automatically. Of course, the temptation is great because ’it's so easy‘, but more companies than you think have in the fine print that saving personal passwords is simply not allowed. So be careful.
Never connect to a nearby wifi network when working with confidential information
A bit of nice working from home, in flexible offices, in that little café. And in the meantime, of course, on someone else's wifi. Still, the
wifi connection of public places like work cafés, airports, on the train, etc. often has a network that is easy to break into. ICT experts also advise against accessing your work email, a bank account, or other sites with sensitive information via a public wifi connection.
Also not so smart: working on that other job or project during work hours
Just a little extra cash flow with that side job, right? Fine, but don't work on it during office hours on your work laptop. An ICT expert can easily pull all your data from your computer, plus your internet history. It may seem harmless to do something ‘quickly’ for your other job, but it's better to just do that at home.
Just a little more about those vacation photos and tax return folders...
Look, I'm not saying it can't be done, it's handy. But be aware that personal documentation, photos, copies of your dentist bill, god knows what else: is NOT your own property, but the property of your employer at the moment you put it on the work computer. Suppose the company you work for goes bankrupt and you are asked to return your computer immediately, then you don't have time to retrieve your personal data from your computer, do you? The same scenario applies if you are fired on the spot and have to return all your belongings immediately. Then it's not exactly a chill idea when there's still a folder with your tax refund on your desktop, right? I thought so.
Oh, and if you don't have a laptop at home and still want to store private things on the work laptop
Then ICT experts advise you at least to attach a USB stick to your keychain, just in case you have to return your computer immediately. Then you can still quickly save your personal folder before you toss it in the trash.
