Or maybe not so much 'let' me, what happens if I don't return the laptop after my inevitable departure (LR or just resign)?
Just did an early refresh two years ago, I think theyre gonna try to get me a new one anyway. I'll decline and keep my current machine.
First, the whole disk is encrypted by BitLocker (Windows) or FileVault (macOS)
I'm not familiar with the internal details of either but in general full disk encryption can be done with with a relatively weak password from the user or a long key with real entropy on something like a USB stick. I wouldn't trust the former at all and after making sure anything worth keeping from the portable was in some kind of company managed CM I'd do the wipe anyway.
Considering the small cost of laptops these days, especially if you go buy a like-new used one with last year's top performance - why would you want to be harassed to return the laptop and potentially be accused of stealing it?
Is it recommended to wipe the whole laptop before returning it ?
It depends on how paranoid you are. Recommended by IT? No. Recommended by most people? Yes.
First, the whole disk is encrypted by BitLocker (Windows) or FileVault (macOS) so most people can't unlock it and access your data. IT can unlock it and decrypt it, but why would they want to?
Second, the asset team is supposed to wipe and reimage every laptop before returning it to the leasing company. They're not going to decrypt it and look at any files on it. They'll simply wipe it and install a fresh image and be done w/ it.
But, since humans make mistakes, I typically wipe my laptops and re-image them before returning them just because I may have minor personal data on it. I had a manager that asked me to wipe all the laptops on our team before they got shipped back as part of the refresh process, especially his and the project manager because they had PII for employees and contractors on their laptops.
I only had one problem w/ one Windows laptop. I wiped the drive and did the SSD low level format and then re-formatted it as NTFS via a bootable USB stick. When when booting from a Windows installer stick, it kept complaining about not having the necessary drivers to use the drive and I was unable to find the proper SSD drivers from either the Internet or Lenovo. After 4-6 hrs of fighting it, I just returned it w/ a blank, formatted drive.
Why would one want to keep the old Cisco laptop with all kind on tracking and monitoring software installed? All your activities past cisco will still be logged and sent to Cisco. How much fun is that?
Why wouldn't you re-image the system to remove all that tracking software?!
... They can lock it remotely..hard to wipe out the images.
If you can't format a drive and re-install a fresh OS image, why are you working for a tech company?!
You will pay in some form or fashion if you do not return it. Peripherals don’t matter but the laptop is leased.
Don’t mess your career and risk your personal life for a piece of equipment you can easily replace. You’ll have something as good handed to you at the next gig.
Pls don't ...those laptops are managed endpoints from IT. They can track even the location. if you ever connected to internet, IT can see the details, the MDM (Mobile Device Manager) software on the laptop act like a remote manager for IT. they have full access and visibility on these devices. They can lock it remotely..hard to wipe out the images.
Oh, you mean steal
This happened to my cousins friend. They arrested him and he did 17 months in prison.
Why would one want to keep the old Cisco laptop with all kind on tracking and monitoring software installed? All your activities past cisco will still be logged and sent to Cisco. How much fun is that?
Is it recommended to wipe the whole laptop before returning it ?
Or maybe not so much 'let' me, what happens if I don't return the laptop after my inevitable departure (LR or just resign)?
Just did an early refresh two years ago, I think theyre gonna try to get me a new one anyway. I'll decline and keep my current machine.
OP, if you're planning on keeping the laptop and not returning it, why wouldn't you want to do the refresh and get a newer laptop? Plus, if you're in the US, you can now buy the old laptop (for more than it's worth).
Not sure it's worth the police report stating that you kept (failed to return company property, aka "stole") the laptop showing up on future jobs' background checks when you can buy the old one at the end of the current lease.
I don't think, however, that they're giving us the option to buy the laptops _before_ the lease ends if you are LR'd. Also pretty sure they won't let you buy it if you quit, so if you really want it, do the refresh & buy the one you have now.
Cisco tracks every laptop and you must return them when you leave. If you have an old laptop and a new refresh laptop, they ask for both back. You can not get away with keeping the old one. I know of some that have tried and failed.
I don't know if this individual succeeded or failed, but before the pandemic, there was a remote employee who'd had a refresh while as part of another team. Apparently he failed to return the old laptop, but since he was still an employee, the asset team just billed his BU for the unreturned laptop and life went on. Then he was transferred to our team. He got caught by an LR and when it was time to return his laptop, he sent us the old laptop & kept the current one. When the manager received it, he didn't know that it was the old one and had me ship it to the Asset team. A couple of weeks later, the Asset team contacted the manager and said they were still waiting on this terminated employee's laptop and we told them we'd shipped it back, gave them the tracking #, and showed that it had been received. They told us that, yes, they'd received that, but that ti was the previous leased laptop that had been bought out and that they needed the current leased one or we'd be required to pay for it out of department funds.
The manager tried to contact the employee, but he went radio silent, so the manager reported the "stolen" laptop to HR and a police report was generated. No idea if the laptop was recovered, what the result of the police report was w/ the employee, etc. But I wouldn't want a police report to show up on future background checks for an old laptop.
I left cisco 19yrs back and when my ex-mgr tried to get me to return my laptop I showed him my mid finger.
Since we're bringing back the oldies, RTP is closing on the 19th.
Do any of you ever search the older articles where this stuff has been covered endlessly?
Don’t sweat the small stuff like a laptop. Cisco has access to all your money in 401K, RSU, ESPP, pending salary and Severance if in LR. Spend $2000 and buy your own.
At some companies I know, they will report it as lost, and send police to your home to retrieve.
@OP - What’s in that old laptop you like so much?
they will dock the cost of ANY non-returned company equipment tied to your name at LR. In some cases (like a laptop) you will be allowed to buy it. Some home office stuff is soooo old they don't care.
Cisco tracks every laptop and you must return them when you leave. If you have an old laptop and a new refresh laptop, they ask for both back. You can not get away with keeping the old one. I know of some that have tried and failed.
They "let" you buy it.