Leaving your computer unlocked when you step away from your desk is one of the most common security mistakes in any office. It only takes a moment for someone to see sensitive information on your screen, send an email from your account or access files they should not have.
Locking your screen is quick and should become second nature every time you leave your desk, even for a minute.
The fastest way to lock your computer
Press the Windows key and L at the same time. Your screen will lock instantly and show the login screen. To unlock it, press any key or click the mouse, then type your password or use Windows Hello to sign back in. This works on every Windows computer and is the fastest method.
How to lock from the Start menu
Click the Start button, click your profile icon or name at the bottom left, and select Lock. This does the same thing as the keyboard shortcut but takes a few more clicks.
How to set your computer to lock automatically
If you sometimes forget to lock your screen manually, you can set Windows to lock automatically after a period of inactivity. Open Settings, click Accounts, then click Sign-in options. Under the section called If you have been away, when should Windows require you to sign in again, select When PC wakes from sleep. Then set your screen to turn off after a short period in Settings, System, Power and battery. A timeout of two to five minutes is a good balance between security and convenience.
How to require a password on wake
Make sure your computer requires a password when waking from sleep or when the screensaver activates. In Settings, click Accounts, then Sign-in options. Make sure Require sign-in is set to When PC wakes from sleep. This ensures that even if you forget to lock your screen, your computer will lock itself once the display turns off.
Why this matters for your business
An unlocked computer in a shared office, a meeting room or a coffee shop gives anyone who walks past full access to your email, files, client data and business systems. Under POPIA, businesses are required to take reasonable steps to protect personal information. An unlocked computer with client data visible is not reasonable.
It also protects you from well-meaning colleagues who might accidentally close your work, move files or send messages from your account.
When to get help
If your business needs to enforce automatic screen locking across all devices, this can be configured centrally through Microsoft 365 or group policy. Recloud sets up and manages these policies for our clients so that every device in your business locks automatically, regardless of whether the user remembers to do it manually.