From the Help Desk

What does your computer do when you walk away from it?

You may think it does nothing, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The operating system continues to run background tasks, and crucially, it also constantly checks to see if someone is telling it what to do. That someone could be you, or it could be malware.

It is important to save all documents, close all applications, and Log Off (don’t just lock your screen) at the end of every work day.

Leaving your applications and systems open at the end of the day entails significant security risks and leaves your work systems open to data loss and corruption. Security patches cannot be applied, backups are delayed, and automatic restarts force open applications to quit without saving.

Also, for the continuing health of your systems, there are backups, installations, upgrades, and other vital issues that often require us to do service after hours. To insure the integrity of your data and the saving of your work, we ask that every day when you are ready to leave, you cultivate the habit of closing all windows and apps and Logging Off of Windows.

Thank you and take care!