Auto-Lock your Workstation with Screensaver

NOTE: Your company may have alternate specific guidance for how you should configure auto-lock - please check with your IT and compliance teams.

HERE'S WHY

Leaving your workstation unattended is a potential security risk to the company. A screensaver that auto-locks your machine is an important control against security threats.

HERE'S HOW

Let's configure your workstation to auto-lock when your screensaver is activated.

As of 9/7/2021 We've updated this test to confirm that employee computers have a required password 60 seconds or less after the machine has been idle for at least 15 minutes.

For MacOS:

1. Open System Preferences, then click on Security & Privacy

2. Click on the General tab

3. Check the Require password box, and set the dropdown to 1 minutes

Then....

1. Open System Preferences, then click on Desktop & Screensaver

2. Update the time for 'Show screen saver after' to 15 minutes or less

For Windows:

1. Go to Control Panel

2. Open Hardware and Sound

3. Open Power Options

4. For your plan, Change plan settings

5. Click 'Change advanced power settings'

6. In the Power Options window, find Display and Console lock display off timeout

7. Select a time 1 minute or less

Then...

1. Go to Settings

2. Select Personalization

3. Select Lock Screen

4. Select Screen saver settings and enter an option 15 minutes or less

For Ubuntu Linux:

1. Open Settings

2. From the sidebar, click Privacy

3. From the Privacy menu sidebar, click Screen Lock

4. Select 15 minutes or less for Blank Screen Delay

5. Select a value 1 minute or less for the Automatic Screen Lock Delay