I know that using your work laptop as a personal laptop seems like a worthwhile cost-saving measure, especially if you're one of the 51% of U.S. employees who work from home at least part of the time. Plus, you get benefits from a personal laptop that you might not see on a regular office laptop. 

Corporate IT departments usually set them up with your login information, a set of essential applications, and all the bells and whistles that enable you to do your job successfully. They come to our home, become our main device, sometimes used more than our personal devices. 

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), many companies have a clause in their computer, email, and Internet policies that make storing personal passwords a potentially risky move. To keep your personal data private, here are 10 things you should never do on a computer or phone provided by your company. 

During this time when many people work from home, some may have computers provided to them by their employers, while others may work on their own computers. Because many people now work from home, they can use computers provided by their employers. 

Different states and countries have different laws regarding employee tracking, but you are using a work device on a corporate network. Running your own side project during work hours on a corporate computer is not good. Even if your employer doesn't care too much about your online habits, it's still best not to engage in personal activities like side activities or hobbies on your work computer. Even if your every move isn't being watched, it's still best to assume that your work computer is being watched and act accordingly. 

When you're in the office and working at your employer's computer, it's important not to do certain things. The computer doesn't belong to you, and if your company is big enough, your boss can use the software to check what you're doing, what websites you've visited, and can even read your email. You might think that no one will know about your busy schedule on a work laptop, but your company is most likely legally allowed to monitor your screen. You might think that no one knows you're busy on your work laptop, but your company is probably legally allowed to control your screen. 

The basic principle behind this tip is to not say or do anything on a computer or work account that you don't want your employer to see. However, it's probably not a good idea to give your employer easy access to every unproductive moment of your day or every dirty joke you make on Slack. 

Employers can install software to track what you do on your laptop or desktop with work issues. In more discreet workplaces, these might be keyloggers that can see everything you type, or screenshot tools that track your performance. The employee monitoring software that you can safely expect to have installed on your work computer allows your workplace to view every site you visit, every email you send, and even any personal saved passwords. Assume that everything you do on your work device can be legally registered by your employer and access to IT is incredibly easy. 

In some cases, you may need to use social media as part of your job, both for research and because you manage your company accounts. In some cases, you may need to use social media as part of your job, both for research and for managing your company account. In this case, be sure to only use it for business purposes and log out when you're done. 

Deleting some files and clearing your browser history will not prevent your work computer from revealing your online activity. Many employers make copies of all the files on your computer and send them to your line manager to make sure no jobs are lost. If you're archiving personal files like photos, tax returns, pay slips, utility bills, your resume, or anything else you don't want others to have access to, delete them before you leave. If you're cleaning your computer because you're leaving work, putting files on a shared drive that your colleagues can access is also an easy way to give them copies of all your documents to ensure continuity for the person you are. take care of your work. 

As a general rule, it's a good idea to keep personal files separate from work files. If you are leaving for a new job, be sure to delete all your personal files, emails, contacts, and messages from your computer. Avoid storing personal data such as music, photos, or movies on your computer from work. It's so easy to have a "personal" folder on your desktop filled with all the cute pictures your spouse sent to your kids, or to keep a plumber's receipt, but it's important to remember that the work device isn't yours—it belongs to the company. . 

Even if you leave the company with a lot of notifications, moving a lot of things off your work device in the last few days of your tenure can be confusing to some IT pros who, remember, can see everything you do on that device. . Without another personal device, you're at greater risk of a security breach and, in extreme cases, you could lose your job. Not having a separate device for personal use can put you at greater risk of a security breach and, in extreme cases, can result in job loss. However, cybersecurity experts say that juggling personal and professional life on a work laptop is risky for both you and the company. 

If you're using a work laptop or desktop computer, you've probably been tempted to check your personal email, save personal files to your company's Google Drive, or avoid work altogether by diving down a search rabbit hole that doesn't. has absolutely nothing to do with your work. If you keep personal items on your work computer, you may be preparing for serious problems. However, you don't want to use your work computer as a storage for your personal data because you can't be sure that other people at work won't be able to view your files. 

If you're using your work laptop for personal purposes (I'll explain later, don't use it), you've probably saved at least a few personal passwords. If you're using your work laptop for personal purposes (which you shouldn't, as we'll see later), you've probably saved at least some of your personal passwords.