A security administrator has been tasked with improving the overall security posture related to desktop machines on the network. An auditor has recently that several machines with confidential…

Implementing a clean desk policy is an administrative control that addresses physical documents and items on a desk, but it does not technically secure digital information displayed on an active or unattended screen.

Security training to prevent shoulder surfing aims to educate users about protecting their screens while actively working, but it does not provide an automated mechanism to secure a screen that is left unattended.

Enabling group policy-based screensaver timeouts automates the locking or obscuring of a desktop screen after a predetermined period of inactivity. This configuration, enforced through Group Policy, directly prevents unauthorized individuals from viewing confidential customer information displayed on an unattended computer, thereby mitigating the identified risk.

Installing privacy screens on monitors restricts viewing angles for casual observers, but it does not lock the workstation or prevent someone directly in front of an unattended machine from viewing confidential information.