What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘clear screen?’

Is it what you do as your boss walks past? So, he doesn’t see you shopping online? Or to prevent him scolding you for checking sky sports?

Actually, a clear screen policy involves locking our devices when they’re not in use, so that our screen is clear, and our data is safe. That includes locking desktops, laptops and mobile phones.

Now, why might our company implement a clear screen policy? It makes sense in a public setting, where leaving our device unlocked and unattended would naturally be dangerous. In fact, whenever using our device in public, it’s worth using a screen protector to prevent unauthorised eyes looking at our screen.

But isn’t a clear screen policy in the office or home an overkill? When we’re surrounded by people we know and trust?

The question is…. Should we trust? How well do you know the person sitting next to you? Sadly, it’s all too common for a ‘trusted’ employee to steal company data for their own personal gain.

So, we shouldn’t be surprised if our company enforces a clear screen policy.

How do we implement it?

Most clear screen policies are controlled by the IT department at domain level, who ensure our devices automatically lock when not used for several minutes. However, its good practice to get into the habit of manually locking our device, whenever we leave it unattended. Now, it may take a while for this to become a regular habit, but keeping our devices locked ensures our information is always safe.

And at the end of the working day, make it a practice to power your device down, rather than just lock it. This makes it harder for our device to be compromised.

In these simple ways, we can keep our information safe and help support a clear screen policy.