What is Clean desk policy?
A clean desk policy is the rule that when you leave your workstation no confidential documents, password notes or storage media are left on the desk, and the screen is locked. It is one of the ISO 27001 controls (A.7.7).
Many leaks happen without any hacking: a cleaner, visitor or courier sees what was left on a desk. A clean desk is a cheap, effective habit that auditors check too.
How to spot it
- A password on a sticky note by the monitor
- An unlocked screen at an empty desk
What to do
- Win+L or Ctrl+Cmd+Q every time you step away
- Documents in a locked drawer, the rest in the shredder
Related courses
Terms on this topic
More topics
Start with your team's risk baseline
15-30 employees, one phishing simulation and a one-page report for management. No annual commitment.