Security of Screensavers

Screensavers should not be confused with the power saving ability of your computer to go into a sleep mode after it sits idle. A screensaver is either a black screen or a black screen with moving items or animations that move around your computer screens. They were used in the beginning as a way of protecting old computer monitor screens from having images burned into the screen. Today, they are now being used as a security measure.

Today, most screensavers can be configured where a user must log in with a password before the computer will return to the desktop of the computer. However, in some cases, a user may be able to turn off the computer to by pass this protection unless you password protect your computer. If you do have your computer password protected as well, you can easily leave your computer running with the screensaver in place and leave your computer for a few minutes without worrying about a co-worker using your computer.

One security problem was discovered with older versions of Microsoft Windows as the format that was used could accidentally install a virus when running. What this did was if you downloaded any file with a .scr extension, Windows would execute the file immediately. Since Windows did this with every file with that extension, it was possible for viruses or malware to install on your computer. However, with newer versions of Windows you will be notified before the installation begins so you can deny any downloads instead of them being installed automatically.

Many companies are now implementing the use of screensavers as added protection instead of just using a password. What is being realized is that most companies do not receive as many threats from others outside their company as they do from employees. Any employee leaving their computer for a few short minutes to take a break is at risk of others finding information on their computer that they may not have the security clearance to see.

Any employee can use a computer if they do not need a password to use the computer, thus finding all information on the employees desktop, other files, emails, etc… are all accessible. However, if the company implements the use of screensavers that also need a password before a person can see the desktop many of these problems are gone. An employee will be able to take a few minutes break without the worry about someone else finding important information or personal information they might not wish to share.

The problem with using only a password-protected system is that if the password is long and not recognizable by the person, he or she will have to write the password down. This means the password is more than likely close at hand for others wishing to log onto others computers. With a screensaver, utilizing a password protection screen the person can choose a password that is recognizable to them. Of course, the password should be given to the main office or manager in case of the need to enter the computer due to employee illness.