How do you know if your company is tracking your laptop?

Okay, so you’re wondering if your company’s keeping tabs on your laptop, huh? It’s a valid question! I mean, nobody likes feeling like they’re being watched, right? It’s a bit creepy. I get it.

Okay, so you wanna know if your company is watching you? Well here are a few things to look for.

First, let’s check for some tell-tale signs:

• For you Windows folks: Head over to your Settings, then Accounts, and look for something that says Access work or school. Give that a peek.

• And Mac users: You’ll wanna go to System Settings, then Profiles, which should be chilling under Privacy & Security. Seriously, who thought of that hiding spot? Profiles?!

But wait, there’s more!

Don’t just stop there, though. Sometimes these sneaky programs hide in the background. That’s where the real fun starts.

• Open up your Task Manager on Windows.
• Or Activity Monitor on your Mac.

And just… scan that list. Look for anything weird, something you don’t recognize, something that just feels… off. It might be cleverly disguised (because, duh, they don’t want you to find it), but if something screams “monitoring software” (sometimes called “bossware,” which, I mean, really?), you might be onto something.

I remember once, I saw a program running on my computer and I was like “What in the world is that?” Turns out, it was a little helper app that my company had installed to track my time. I didn’t mind too much, but the fact that it was running without me even realizing it gave me the heebie jeebies. You know?

Anyway, I hope these tips help you put your mind at ease – or at least give you a starting point for your investigation! Good luck. And remember, even if they are watching, you still have the right to a little bit of privacy…right?