Tech Bitch

Ever felt somebody breathing down your neck when you’re working at your laptop? Quite often it’s just a busybody after a good nose at what you’re doing, but it could be a lot more sinister. Shoulder surfing is a simple yet very effective technique used by identity and data crooks to get personal and business information from your computer monitor while you’re unaware. According to 3M, 40% of information looked at on other people’s laptops is business critical information. Of course, personal e-mails or confidential documents to a colleague or a customer should remain private and confidential.

3M’s Vikuiti Privacy Filters (from £28.95/$39.95) are one of the most useful travelling accessories we’ve come across in a while. Ideal for the frequent flyer and high-tech commuter, the filter restricts the viewing angles (horizontal more so) of your laptop’s screen so that only you (i.e. the user positioned directly in front) can view on-screen data. From either side, your screen simply appears blank (black) - perfect for keeping prying eyes from your sensitive spreadsheets and yearly figures! The filters have another benefit - protecting your laptop or desktop monitor from scratches and other damage, as well as reducing glare.

Available in a number of sizes, from 12.1- to 19in. (up to 17in. widescreen), the filter is basically a hard-wearing plastic film. Featuring patented micro-louvre optical technology that restricts the viewing angle of the entire screen, 3M filters block out the view from either side of your computer screen without blurring or distortion. The filter can be mounted to either a CRT or LCD monitor, and makes perfect sense in busy, high-traffic offices and public access areas. It’s also available in a choice of black or beige, in either ‘flat’ or ‘contoured’ frame profiles to provide a match to your PC. The filter can be installed and removed easily, with no training or special technical skills required. In fact, it simply attaches to your laptop’s display or computer monitor using the supplied stick-on brackets and can be readily removed and stored when not required.

3M recently announced that the Vikuiti Privacy Filters are even suitable for use as privacy screens in e-examinations, eliminating the need for partitions or the other security measures specified in section 5.14 of the 2008 Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) standards for conducting e-examinations. The filter allows examination centres to site workstations closer together than the specified 1.25 metres without using cumbersome and costly partitions. These requirements are included in paragraph 5.14 of the Instructions for Conducting Examinations issued by the JCQ, on behalf of major examining bodies including AQA, City & Guilds, Edexcel, OCR, CEA and the WJEC.

The Vikuiti Privacy Filter is a great accessory if you frequently work in high traffic areas such as airports, aeroplanes, Internet cafes, and other public places. Relatively effective in helping to keep confidential and private information (or anything else on your screen) safe from snoopers, the filter even does a good job of never blurring or distorting screen data. We also like the way the filter reduces reflections when used with the matte side facing you, in addition to protecting fragile LCD screens from scratches and damage, and being easily removable. However, the brightness of your screen is diminished significantly, which may cause discomfort after prolonged use.

My only criticism is that the filter doesn’t filter as effectively as I’d have liked. In other words, I could still just about read documents on a neighbouring laptop - albeit after a little more effort than usual - and it doesn’t work if anyone is standing right behind you and looking down at your display. It’s also expensive, but so is your data. Not a totally effective solution, but as good as anything else on the market. [7]