All Collections
Configuring your Computer
Auto-Lock your Workstation with Screensaver
Auto-Lock your Workstation with Screensaver

Configuring your workstation to auto-lock (and require a password) when the screensaver activates

Ashley Hyman avatar
Written by Ashley Hyman
Updated over a week ago

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 prior to Ventura:

  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 MacOS Ventura:

  1. Open System Settings

  2. Click on "Lock Screen" in the left sidebar

  3. Set the "Start Screen Saver when inactive," "Turn display off on battery when inactive," and "Turn display off on power adapter when inactive" settings all to 10 minutes or less

    1. MacOS Ventura offers 10-minute and 20-minute options, but 20 minutes will fail the test in Drata

  4. Set "Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off" to 60 seconds 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

  5. Ensure the option for "On resume, display logon screen" is checked

    1. This article provides detailed instructions

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

Did this answer your question?