The rising popularity of laptop computers among business people has given rise to a new and equally popular form of high-tech crime: laptop theft. Whether thieves are looking to sell a stolen laptop for a fraction of its value or for identity theft purposes, every year thousands of laptops are stolen. Aside from the fact that laptop computers are costly, it’s the personal information they contain that’s the most valuable. If you use your laptop for business, you easily open yourself up for the opportunity for thieves to get their hands on highly confidential information that can be detrimental for your company.
Laptop thefts occur frequently across the globe, and anyone who owns or travels with them can become a victim. Offices, automobiles, airports and hotel rooms are the most popular targeted areas for the crime to happen. Minimize your chances of becoming a statistic with the following safety tips and suggestions.
Physical Protection and Identification
· Use a padded, weatherproof carrying case that doesn’t necessarily look like a computer bag
· Store shipments of laptops in locked rooms with controlled access and no false ceilings or partial walls
· Never leave your laptop unattended and always use a locking cable to secure it to your desk
· If your laptop can be connected to a docking station, always access the station’s built-in locking device
· Use a screen guard to prevent people from viewing your information in a public place
· Use a disk drive lock and, when possible, remove the hard disk and carry it separately while traveling
· Engrave the company name/ID on all laptops, or mark it with any type of sticker
· Record the laptop’s identification number and keep it in a safe place
· Check if the laptop’s manufacturer or your local police department offers an asset identification or registry program
Traveling Precautions:
· Never check your laptop-keep it in front of you and in sight at all times
· Before you use your laptop, take a look around to see if anyone else is using theirs. If not, there’s probably a reason for that. To be on the safe side and avoid unwanted attention, it’s best to wait until others are participating in the same activity
· Be careful when passing through security-carry your laptop until you must put it through the metal detector
· If you do lose your laptop at an airport, contact the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) immediately
· If you have to leave your laptop in the car, store it out of sight or in the truck, and never place it on the front passenger’s seat while driving
· Avoid keeping your laptop in the vehicle during very cold or hot weather conditions, and if you must, keep it in an insulated case
Identity Theft Deterrents:
· Protect your laptop with a strong password that is a minimum of six characters and includes a combination of numbers and letters
· Never write your passwords down and change them often. It’s also a good idea to turn off your browser’s password management feature and use software for this purpose instead
· Use a disk drive lock to prevent unauthorized access and operation of your laptop, and licensed software that requires a password to access your hard drive and encrypts the stored information
· Consider using a biometric fingerprint reader/scanner to ensure you’re the only person able to access your laptop and the information it contains
· Use programs that permanently erase deleted files from your hard drive, and always back up your information
· Make sure your homeowners or renters insurance will cover the loss of a stolen or lost laptop
To Encourage a Positive Loss Prevention Approach Among Employees, Companies Should Consider the Following Ideas:
· Provide annual training and reminders to maintain safety and security awareness
· Communicate the procedures regarding employee accountability for the security of laptops assigned to them, and require signed policy statements from all laptop users
· Treat the loss/damage of a laptop, due to a blatant disregard of the equipment, as a performance issue
· Encourage laptop users to back up their files frequently
· Always guard proprietary information carefully
· Maintain a current list of all laptop users, assigned equipment, serial numbers and software
· Conduct both scheduled and random inventory checks
· Investigate all incidents of theft or accident and publicize the results
· Make staff aware that all thefts will be reported to the police
Permission to use this article was granted by Universal Services of America. Universal provides a full range of building services throughout Arizona, California, Colorado and Washington, and includes Universal Protection Service, Universal Building Maintenance, Universal Security Systems and Universal Fire/Life Safety Services. www.universalpro.com.