You know the saying “you can never be too careful”? It’s always said by the person who understands the value of proceeding with caution, and understands that all it takes is a moment to lose everything. In some cases, it could be your workplace dignity, but in others, you need to cover your tracks to prevent hackers and other miscreants from performing the unspeakable: messing with your computer while you’re away from it momentarily.

While it might seem like it’s all in good fun (depending on how well pranks go over in your office), a worker pranking you by messing with your workstation’s desktop or settings could have far-reaching repercussions. Furthermore, you need to ensure that you’re practicing this same level of caution with every aspect of your office’s physical and digital security. Here are three best practices you can take when it comes to keeping your technology from being compromised by physical users.

Log Off of Your PC Before Leaving It
You might know that you should always log out of your accounts when you’re not using your PC, you should also lock or log off of your PC before stepping away from it. If you don’t, you run the risk of your co-workers messing with it in ways that you can’t possibly imagine. Plus, if your office is one which strangers frequent, like customers and delivery workers, it’s especially important to lock or log off of your PC before leaving it. You need to be cautious of everyone, especially those who don’t work for you.

Besides the fact that it’s a best practice for security reasons, logging out of your PC is good for it. It gives it a chance to rest up for the next time you use it.

Keep Mobile Devices Out of Sight
While it might not seem to be a big deal to leave your laptop or your smartphone on your desk, someone else might feel like taking advantage of your trusting nature. A mobile device that’s right out in the open is a welcome sight to most thieves. It only takes a moment for a co-worker to snatch your device to make a quick buck, so you need to take precautions by always putting away your devices when they’re not in use. A locked drawer or closet will suffice; or, if it’s actually yours and not the company’s, just take it home with you.

Lock the Office Doors When You Leave
This probably sounds like we’re stating the obvious, but it’s surprising how many organizations lock the front door, but don’t make sure that the windows, side-doors, and other entrances are secure from potential intruders. All access points need to be protected from a potential break-in. Being reliant on security measures like access codes, cards, and keys isn’t the best way to protect your assets, but it’s better than relying on remembering to lock the door. Still, you want to limit the number of employees who can unlock the office. For instance, a worker might lend their security code to a co-worker without a second thought. They might see nothing wrong with it, but what if that worker has some suspicious agenda? At that point, it’s a matter of holding employees accountable for their actions, so it’s best to be safe and just nip the risk in the bud before it’s too late.

All three of these practices can be enhanced with an enterprise-level surveillance system. Having a surveillance system is a solid way to prevent threats from accessing your organization’s office, as well as helping you monitor what’s going on around the office. Argentum IT can recommend the proper system and set it up for you so it doesn’t cripple your company’s network.

What are some of your favorite ways to ensure your office and its technology stays secure as possible? Let us know in the comments.