Volume 3, No. 31 August 1, 2003
Tips to protect laptop computers By Gene Friedman Laptop computers have become commonplace. They are no longer limited to those who travel and must always have their computer at hand. Nowadays, laptops are frequently seen in offices and homes as they are convenient and have a smaller desktop footprint than a PC. With the popularity of laptops comes a corresponding rise in their theft. Recent statistics report that about 3,000 laptop computers are stolen each day. At an approximate cost of $2,500 each, this is a $7.5 million daily loss to owners of these computers. Each computer is a substantial investment and taken cumulatively, this loss is too great to ignore. There are a number of positive steps to take to ensure that your laptop does not become one of these statistics. Be sure to lock your office when you are not in it. This is the simplest form of prevention that you can take. When you leave at the end of the workday, either lock up the laptop securely or take it home with you. Laptops are particularly vulnerable while traveling. Never leave one unattended, especially at an airport or similar location. Thieves regularly target these areas as they know that the traveler must catch a plane or train or bus and will likely not stay to file a police report. Laptops are predictably most at risk at check-in counters. Travelers are distracted with ticket details and usually set their computer on the ground while they negotiate with the desk clerk. Another high-risk location is the baggage retrieval area. Everyone is concentrating on finding his or her bags among the hundreds circling. Then, in the mad dash to the conveyor belt to claim the bags before they take another trip around the carousel, the laptop is sometimes set down, never to be seen again. Another target-rich area for criminals is at the security checkpoint at major airports. These are very busy and confusing areas, with travelers backed up in line and anxious to get the screening over with. Some people put their possessions on the conveyor belt going into the X-ray machine well before they are ready to pass through the metal detector. This gives criminals time to pick up the property and be gone before the loss is discovered. Thus, the best practice is to wait until you are ready to go through the screening point before you place your laptop or other possessions on the conveyor. A good idea to reduce the high-profile appearance of a laptop is to carry it in an ordinary looking bag or piece of luggage. Never carry it in the travel case supplied by the manufacturer. These cases, with their logos and brand names, too readily identify the object you are carrying. A further theft deterrent is to prominently inscribe your employer’s name or identifying information on the cover and elsewhere on the laptop. There are also measures to take to limit your losses in the event that your laptop is lost or stolen. Only save that information on the computer that is absolutely necessary. Proprietary and critical data should not be stored on the laptop but on a floppy disk or CD which should be kept elsewhere or carried separately. Personal information as well as passwords to financial accounts should be especially safeguarded. E-mail passwords including those that allow remote access should not be stored on the computer, either. Friedman is director of campus safety. Allied Security Company contributed to this article.
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