
There are several circumstances and companies that will not appreciate you erasing your laptop before returning it. Remove personal information from your laptop without erasing it If you’re unsure, check with your IT department.

Many businesses that handle sensitive client data, for example, will have policies in place regarding portable storage devices and when they may and cannot be utilised. The ideal technique for you will typically be determined by the amount of storage space you want and your company’s current information security standards. When it comes to data backup, you have three options: an external hard drive, a USB drive, or cloud backup. If you don’t, it will be difficult to recover locally stored data in the future. You may begin the digital detox after you’ve received the all-clear.įirst and foremost, any information that you may want in the future must be backed up. If you are the employee in this position, it is essential to get advice from your IT department on what to do next. Is there any personal information you’d want to remove?.Is there any information preserved on there that you may require later?.Is there any business-critical data that you must keep?.Whether a period of remote working is coming to an end or someone is moving on to greener pastures, a laptop wipe is one method of avoiding cyber security and data security concerns.īut, before you start seeking for that blank slate, consider the following: So, what are the options?īefore returning a laptop to the workplace, it should be cleaned. So, without knowing if workers have been checking email, listening to music, or just surfing the web on their work laptop, it’s best to be careful when reintroducing that device to your corporate network.

Given the amount of sensitive customer data that many of us handle on a daily basis, this may very well be the start of a security nightmare for organisations.Įmployees are often cited as the weakest link in any company’s security approach. In fact, according to a recent poll, more than half of respondents use their work gadgets for personal purposes as well. They have a lot of information on us, including our email addresses, passwords, and payment information, and they can even preserve a digital trace of every website we visit.įurthermore, as the barriers between our personal and professional lives continue to blur, so does our usage of corporate gadgets. Whether we like it or not, our computers save a massive amount of personal data.
