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Laptop and Notebook Theft Prevention
By Ken Dennis
Laptops or Notebook computers are an expensive personal and business asset
that are highly sought after by both small time thieves and large
complicated theft rings. Keeping your laptop and notebook computers safely
in your possession should always be in the back of your mind. Not only are
these extremely expensive, they can contain very private personal
information or business secrets that can hurt you if the information was
ever brought public, or worse yet, sold to a competitor!
Physical theft prevention should be your primary concern when you use
laptops, and really most of the information is just common sense. Don't
brag, or advertise that you have a laptop in your possession, try to carry
your laptop in non-traditional laptop bags that make it obvious you have
one. If you can fit it in your briefcase, or in a shoulder bag you are far
better off from getting targeted.
Asset tag your electronics devices and peripherals with permanent markings
or engravings, large markings that make your laptop unique make your device
less attractive because it will become harder to sell.
Always be mindful of where your laptop is at. If you are using the washroom,
or a payphone, don't leave it on a table or counter. This includes while you
are at restaurants! If you are traveling in rental cars, try to get a car
with a lockable trunk that doesn't have access or a viewable trunk from the
outside such as SUV's or hatchbacks. Don't leave items in plain sight that
will entice people to steal from your car!
If you are staying in hotels, try to use locking cables to permanent metal
settings to secure your laptop if you go out; or ask the hotel to lock it up
in their safe if you won't be using it for an extended period of time.
In the event that your laptop has been stolen there are many different
organizations that offer products and services that might help in a quick
recovery or tracking of the device. Some products install a "call home"
feature if the laptop is ever reconnected to an internet connection, or
having serialized components that make tracking and recovery easier.
Additionally there is some really interesting products that have movement
and proximity alarms installed. For instance, you wear a device on your
belt, and if your laptop is more than a certain distance from you an alarm
will sound loudly. This is used in hopes of stopping criminals who snatch
and run with your device!
It's always a very good idea to install some sort of encryption software on
your laptop, such as a PGP, that will help keep your data private in the
event it is stolen. It's always a good idea to plan for the worst and hope
for the best!
Remember, physical security mainly consists of using common sense to protect
any attractive item that you may own. Be discreet, be mindful of your
devices and you should be relatively safe!
About the author:
Ken Dennis
http://KenDennis-RSS.homeip.net
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Karen Porter, The Administrative Professional Job Performance and Career Success Coach™