Automatically lock computers when users walk away, both at the office and offsite. Lock unattended computers automatically when users step away using GateKeeper Proximity’s computer auto-lock feature. As long as the user’s token is present, the computer will remain logged in. The computer will automatically lock to ensure computer security policy as soon as the user leaves the computer with their token. This auto-locking functionality is useful for employees in healthcare, manufacturing, law enforcement, and more. Hands-free authentication and logout. Want to save even more time? Set applications to auto-launch when you come back too!

Risks of unlocked computers.

If an IT admin managing 1,000 users (half of whom work from home – which means they could be anywhere) was responsible for making sure each computer was unlocked whenever unattended. They are faced with the unenviable choice of choosing between user convenience and better security. A good example of this is the choosing of the inactivity timeout length. What’s a good inactivity timeout length? A short timeout period is more secure but very inconvenient for the end user as the computer will end up locking on users while they’re still working. Conversely, a longer timeout policy is more convenient for users, but not as secure, as vulnerability windows will be longer.

Computers must be locked when unattended to ensure compliance regulations are followed. IT admins cannot rely on people to always lock their computers. People will inevitably forget to lock their computers. Careless human errors can lead to devastating consequences. Unauthorized user access to the computer and its contents is the biggest security risk for unlocked and unattended computers. What can malicious actors can do when they gain unauthorized access to a computer?

• Read your private emails and messages
• Steal user credentials saved in plain text
• Upload malicious software (e.g. computer virus, malware, keylogger)
• Make unauthorized purchases using your saved credit card
• Reset passwords to give themselves unauthorized access
• Many cybercriminals are opportunists – meaning tempting opportunities breed more cybercriminals

Benefits of locking computers automatically.

Most companies still use inactivity timeouts to lock computers. The problems with relying on timeout policies are as follows: 

• Stop intrusive timeout policies that kick in at the most inconvenient times, especially in certain industries such as healthcare.
• Unattended computers with long timeout policy leave too large a gap of time when the computer is vulnerable. However, auto-locking computers as soon as the user steps away leaves the minimum amount time vulnerable to unauthorized access.
• IT admins do not have to rely on individual users to maintain computer security by always remembering to lock their workstations when they walk away.

GateKeeper Enterprise uses machine-learning to measure proximity signal, keyboard/mouse activity, and motion using an accelerometer to determine whether to keep a user’s session logged in. The token will also auto-fill passwords after users log in with their token. No more unlocked computers, wherever employees are located. Automate computer security instead of hoping that each employee is vigilant all the time. See how to set up GateKeeper 2FA. Check out how one U.S. manufacturing facility deployed GateKeeper to achieve DFARS compliance and lock computers automatically in this case study.