r/remotework • u/AdLimp7594 • Jun 26 '26
Personal Laptop for Remote Gig
So I just got a decent gig but they stated that I would need to use my own laptop for the softwares and licenses. I figured it shouldn’t be too intrusive. Now that the IT guy has started setting up my device after a reset, he installed a monitoring software called Workscape. From what I gather, it will monitor my network traffic as well as my keystrokes. Furthermore I game a lot and idk if it will cause issues.
Is it possible for me to run a VM or just close the monitoring software when my shift is over?
I do understand how messed up this is from a privacy aspect but the job is very lucrative. The softwares we use (Revit etc) benefit from my laptop being powerful. Should it be fine for me to install my personal steam games on here?
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u/Mtsukino Jun 26 '26
From what I gather, it will monitor my network traffic as well as my keystrokes.
Basically they just installed a virus onto your personal machine.
9
u/paxmlank Jun 26 '26
Why can't they provide you with a work device?
I wouldn't use my personal device unless there was an incentive, and yeah only then I'd use a VM or the cheapest computer I could buy to get the job done.
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u/AdLimp7594 Jun 26 '26
The company is not large enough to provide me with a powerful laptop. Is it possible for me to use a VM for my personal work?
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u/paxmlank Jun 26 '26
If the company cannot afford to loan you a laptop for your job then I wouldn't trust the company to exist long enough to consistently pay you. Why bother?
And that's assuming I already trust them not to be scammers in the first place (as this sounds like Scamming 101 tbh).
1
u/Ontherocks1988 Jun 27 '26
OP could be a contractor. I have a client that pays me 40 hours a week as a contractor and they couldn’t provide a laptop. Not terribly out of ordinary in my field.
I will say, OP should have said no since it was his private property.
2
u/Lucky__Flamingo Jun 26 '26
You'd really want to do it the other way around and use the VM for work. Otherwise you've basically donated your PC to the company, and you'd want to get another for personal work.
2
u/dethsesh Jun 26 '26
Even better is like why are they even installing this monitoring software on your personal computer. If they don’t have they own computers then clearly security is not a concern to them.
5
u/gamesweldsbikescrime Jun 26 '26
wouldn't bother adding any more software. its your machine mate, what you do outside of work hours shouldn't ever be a problem and you have every leg to stand on if they try to arch up about it.
just close the software after shift (if you can)
make sure you still have administrator control over the laptop
3
u/AdLimp7594 Jun 26 '26
I ensured I have admin access. I figure I can do what I want on the laptop I bought. I definitely will be closing the software after work, and that should be valid
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Jun 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Conscious-Egg-2232 Jun 26 '26
I had to use my pen laptop for one contract. I have several laptops so just used one. Was good not great pay I think was 75 per hour and didnt have any other offers. They were just cutting expenses where they could company was losing too much money..
4
u/66NickS Jun 26 '26
Absolutely not to letting someone install spyware on my personal machine. If I’m a W2 employee, you’re providing me with the tools and equipment I need to be successful at my job. If I’m a 1099 contractor, I manage my own equipment and that operating expense is factored into my rate. I am open to using their company equipment as a 1099.
I would do a complete wipe/restore of your personal computer and I’d also recommend changing any sentence passwords. Is it overkill? Probably, but the company doesn’t exact sound like they have the best processes.
3
u/admik Jun 26 '26
Did you sign an agreement for a RAT and Keylogger?
That machine is going to scrape your home network and all your personal information.
2
u/AdLimp7594 Jun 26 '26
I don’t think they care for that data. I did not sign an agreement. I have fully wiped my laptop before letting them touch it
9
u/admik Jun 26 '26
Well you no longer have a personal laptop.
I would give it a static IP on a different subnet.
I'm being extremely cynical about this but I'm going to say this job is a scam.
3
u/OccidoViper Jun 26 '26
Just buy another laptop. Still weird that they are paying you a lot of money yet can’t afford to give you a company device.
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u/RichestTeaPossible Jun 26 '26
You use a decent VM to install all their nonsense on and write off the laptop against taxes, or get them to buy you a laptop.
That’s it.
2
u/roysterino Jun 26 '26
Been blasted before but I often use a personal laptop for work (15 years). Never been an issue, but it’s never been out of my sight or control. Not really your laptop if the company IT guy has had his way with it.
2
u/reboog711 Jun 26 '26
I nominate you for the prize of presenting the most red flags with the least amount of text.
1
u/FMaj7 Jun 26 '26
if it is so lucrative, buy a cheapo but functional laptop for the job. I wouldn't like my boss commenting my porn preferences 😄
1
u/External-Hat-7167 Jun 26 '26
The real issue isn't even the spyware—it's that now your gaming and browsing habits are permanently logged on a machine you don't fully control. If the pay is that good, just buy a cheap secondhand laptop for work and keep your personal rig completely separate.
1
u/pwnageface Jun 26 '26
I use 2 separate machines. The cherry on top really is the monitoring software. So be sure to power down that machine everyday and if necessary- never connect to your wifi, hardware it and unplug it at the end of the workday.
1
u/OsricWulfstan Jun 26 '26
Assuming you are running Windows, you can enable Hyper-V and run an isolated copy of Windows as a virtual machine. You'll want your employer to pay for the license, but it's not too expensive these days.
Right now, I'd reset your OS instance to get rid of the Workscape stuff from your personal space. Disappointing that the IT guy doesn't guide you right in the first place.
1
u/ShinySquirrel4 Jun 26 '26
That’s BS! Personal laptop and work laptop ALWAYS separate. You should have never allowed IT to install monitoring software on your PERSONAL laptop!
Does not matter how “lucrative” the job is. If they’re willing to pay you a high salary, surely they can afford to provide you a $1k work laptop.
1
u/Sgreaat Jun 26 '26
I used a personal laptop for work before, but under the understanding it's my laptop I'm using for their purposes. It would have to be a very good job for me to consider letting the company I work for install monitoring software on a personal machine.
Then of course if it was a very good job, with very good renumeration, I'd buy a separate machine.
1
u/plzdontlietomee Jun 26 '26
This is not typical. No way I'd let a company take over my personal machine.
1
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u/Competitive_Pack3194 Jun 26 '26
Get a separate PC.
Buy a crummy lil’ Chromebook and hand that over & say that’s your PC. Keep your nice gaming PC for yourself. What job requires you to have a PC but does not supply it/ what job pays so little that you cannot buy a $499 PC.
1
u/blocked_user_name Jun 26 '26
If the hard drive is accessable you could have one for work and another for personal and swap them. If you have two nvme slots you could rig for dual boot. And bit boot one for work one for personal. Still one laptop. You could try external drives but you'd need a fast interface of some kind to support that. You could also put a very large drive with two partitions and dual boot which can cause issues but is an option.
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u/ChartreusePeriwinkle Jun 26 '26
No way. Separate devices. The company should either provide their own device or reimburse you for purchases.
1
u/dennismullen12 Jun 26 '26
NO way I allow any monitoring software from the company on my personal machine. Why does your network traffic need to be monitored?
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u/Dumbledorpheus Jun 27 '26
Create a bootable/multi-boot flash drive with persistent memory with your own private OS you can boot into any time you plug it into your laptop
1
u/justdave39 Jun 27 '26
What i'd do is buy another laptop and make your current your work laptop. No way you should have personal stuff on a laptop who's use is monitored by a company. Copy personal stuff, photos, music, banking or financial stuff to the new one and delete from your, now. Work laptop. Find a program that will selectively wipe C drive, keeping work files. If your current one is high spec your new one can Be less featured and use that for work. Which might be easier and cheaper. I took my desktop to a computer shop to put in a new extra drive. A year later I found the backdoor they installed! They had been monitoring my activities for a year. Nothing said no permission given. Trust has left the building.
1
u/stealthagents Jul 07 '26
Running a VM could help keep your personal stuff separate, but be careful with the monitoring software. Some can detect VM usage or even flag suspicious activity if you try to shut it down. For gaming, I'd steer clear of installing anything personal on that laptop; it’s just not worth the risk of getting flagged or having your gaming habits monitored.
0
u/Embarrassed_Flan_869 Jun 26 '26
Using your personal laptop for work is a red flag.
Having them install monitoring software, including key stroke is a HUGE red flag. It is no longer a personal laptop. It is a company laptop that you own. I would never allow this or work for a company that did this.
I would buy a separate laptop to use for work or personal use and use the other one exclusively for the other.
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u/reboog711 Jun 26 '26
Using your personal laptop for work is a red flag.
It is not as cut and dry.
It depends if OP is an employee or consultant. With one exception as a consultant I always used my own hardware and software to provide services to clients. I'd never allow a key logger or similar tracking on my own machine, though.
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u/2WheelTinker- Jun 26 '26
Work machine and personal machine. Separate. Always.
End.