When people talk about a “clean desk policy”, you might picture a traditional office: confidential paperwork locked away, documents put through the shredder and passwords definitely not written on a Post-it note stuck to the monitor.

Those rules still matter. But with more of us working from home or splitting our time between home and the office, the desk itself has changed.

Your home workspace could give someone access to much more than the paperwork sitting on it. An unlocked laptop can potentially provide access to your email, Microsoft 365, customer information, accounts and other important business systems.

For a small business, that makes good home-working habits an important part of IT security.

Here’s what we’d recommend.

Lock Your Screen When You Walk Away

This is probably the easiest security improvement you can make.

You might have multi-factor authentication (MFA) protecting Microsoft 365 and other business systems. That’s great – and something we strongly recommend.

But MFA protects the login process. If you’re already signed in and leave your computer unlocked, somebody sitting down at your desk may already have access.

They don’t necessarily need your password or an MFA code.

Think about what you currently have open on your computer. It could include:

• Your business email
• OneDrive and SharePoint
• Customer information
• Accounting software
• Your CRM
• Saved passwords
• Online banking or payment systems

That’s quite a lot of information sitting behind one unlocked screen.

Get into the habit of locking your computer whenever you leave it – even if you’re only going to make a cup of tea.

On a Windows PC, pressing Windows key + L will lock it immediately.

We’d also recommend configuring computers to automatically lock after a sensible period of inactivity. That way, you’re still protected if somebody simply forgets.

Be Careful Who Can See Your Screen

Home working can sometimes make us more relaxed about things we’d think twice about in an office.

Your screen might contain customer information, an email conversation, financial figures or confidential documents.

If you’re working somewhere other than your normal home office – perhaps a café, hotel, shared workspace or even on a train – think about who can see what’s on your screen.

It’s also worth remembering video calls. Before sharing your screen, close anything that doesn’t need to be visible and check which screen or application you’re actually sharing.

A little awareness can prevent information being exposed accidentally.

Don’t Share Your Work Computer

It can be tempting to let somebody quickly borrow your work laptop.

“Can I just use it for five minutes?”

For a business device, we’d recommend the answer is no.

Your work computer may contain saved credentials, synchronised business files and access to company systems. Even completely innocent use by another person could result in something being accidentally deleted, downloaded or changed.

Ideally, business devices should only be used by the person they’re assigned to.

The same applies to children using a work laptop for homework, games or browsing. Keeping business and personal devices separate reduces unnecessary risk.

What About Old Computers and Equipment?

Another common issue we see in small businesses is old technology being kept because “it still works.”

There’s nothing wrong with getting good value from your equipment. But there comes a point where older technology becomes a security problem.

Manufacturers eventually stop supporting operating systems, routers and other devices. Once that happens, security updates may no longer be provided.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recommends moving away from obsolete technology because unsupported products become increasingly difficult to secure.

Take a look around your home office.

Is there an old laptop that’s occasionally used as a backup?

What about an old PC that still accesses company email?

When was your home router last updated – or replaced?

If a device is being used for business, it should ideally be supported, receiving security updates and properly maintained.

“Still turns on” and “safe to use for business” aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Don’t Forget About Paper

For all the technology involved in modern businesses, information can still escape the old-fashioned way.

Printed invoices, customer details, employee information and handwritten notes can all contain information you wouldn’t want falling into the wrong hands.

If you’re working from home, try to avoid leaving sensitive paperwork lying around.

A few sensible habits go a long way:

• Put confidential documents away when you’ve finished with them
• Don’t leave passwords or login information written beside your computer
• Shred sensitive documents rather than putting them straight into household recycling
• Keep business paperwork separate from general household paperwork
• Avoid printing confidential information unless you actually need a paper copy

You don’t need a spotless desk. You just need to know where sensitive information is.

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Think About USB Drives and Portable Storage

USB drives are small, useful and extremely easy to lose.

If business information is copied onto an unencrypted USB stick and that stick disappears, you’ve potentially lost control of the information stored on it.

Where possible, we’d recommend using approved business storage such as OneDrive or SharePoint rather than moving files around on USB drives.

If portable storage genuinely is necessary, consider encryption and make sure your business has a clear policy about what information can be stored on it.

Keep Your Home Wi-Fi Secure

Your home router is effectively the gateway between your home network and the internet, so don’t completely forget about it.

At a minimum, we’d recommend:

• Using a strong Wi-Fi password
• Changing default administrator passwords
• Keeping your router’s software/firmware updated
• Replacing equipment that’s no longer supported
• Avoiding unnecessary remote access features
• Keeping work devices themselves patched and protected

If your router is several years old and you can’t remember the last time you looked at its settings, it’s probably worth checking.

Be Sensible With Smart Devices

Modern homes can have an impressive number of internet-connected devices: smart TVs, doorbells, cameras, speakers, plugs, thermostats and more.

That doesn’t mean you need a completely separate enterprise network in your spare bedroom.

But businesses should recognise that a home network can contain many more devices than a traditional office network.

Keeping work computers updated and properly protected becomes even more important when they’re operating in an environment the business doesn’t completely control.

For staff regularly working from home, it’s worth including basic home-network security in your IT policies rather than assuming everybody’s setup is secure.

AI Adds Another Reason to Lock Your Screen

AI tools are increasingly becoming part of everyday business software.

As these tools become capable of doing more – drafting emails, accessing information, updating systems or helping automate processes – access to an unlocked computer can potentially become even more valuable.

The principle doesn’t really change.

If a person shouldn’t be able to use your business systems, they shouldn’t be able to walk up to an unlocked computer and start interacting with them.

Businesses adopting AI tools should also think carefully about what information those tools can access and what actions they’re allowed to perform.

Home Working Is Part of Your Business IT

The biggest change isn’t really technical.

It’s recognising that the home office is now part of the business IT environment.

If you have five employees working from home, you effectively have five additional workplaces that need sensible security practices.

That doesn’t mean turning everyone’s spare bedroom into a high-security facility.

It means establishing some straightforward rules:

• Lock computers when they’re unattended
• Don’t share business devices
• Keep devices updated
• Use MFA
• Protect confidential paperwork
• Use approved business storage
• Secure home Wi-Fi
• Report lost or stolen equipment quickly

Most importantly, make those expectations clear to employees.

Security works much better when people understand what’s expected of them rather than being handed a lengthy IT policy nobody reads.

Is Your Business Set Up Securely for Home Working?

For small businesses, good cybersecurity doesn’t have to mean complicated systems and endless policies.

Often, getting the basics right consistently makes the biggest difference.

If your team works from home, in the office or a mixture of both, we can help make sure your devices, Microsoft 365 environment, backups and security are set up appropriately.

We provide friendly, practical IT support for businesses across the East Midlands, without unnecessary jargon or overcomplicating things.

Want a second pair of eyes on your business IT or home-working setup? Get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to have a chat.

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.