By Doctor Security
Travel and Thanksgiving go together like turkey and stuffing. So if you’re like millions of others and going to be on the road or in the air this holiday season, we suggest you take some precautions to prevent the loss or theft of your laptop.
Just so you know why you need to be diligent, here’s the skinny on laptop theft:
1 in 10 are lost or stolen and 97% are never recovered. A recent study found that 12,000 laptops go missing in
Now, you can bet that during the Thanksgiving week when there’s a ton more people hopping on flights, there’s going to be a lot more criminal activity among the crowds, especially in these challenging economic times.
Here are some tips to consider to help you protect yourself against laptop loss/theft as well as what to do if you become the victim:
1) Don’t use a traditional laptop bag that tells a thief exactly where it is (a quality backpack is a good alternative)
2) If you don’t have to access your laptop in a large public place, don’t
3) Don’t pack your laptop with your baggage because you can’t trust that your baggage won’t be tampered with or always arrive at the same time and place you do
4) Stow your computer at your feet, not in an overhead bin where it can easily be taken (often by mistake)
Most of these tips are common sense, but during the rush and stress associated with holiday travel, you might not be on top of your game, especially if traveling with children. So try to be diligent and stay calm. The harried travelers might as well paint targets on their backs.
You should also be smart about what you need to do and have if your mobile computer is lost, stolen or damaged:
1) Back up, back up, back up your important files!! (Leave a back up copy of your important files at home or the office and carry a disk or a thumb drive with you, if you’re going to need to access files while you’re away)
2) Have strong password (8 characters at least and a combo of letter, numbers and special characters like #%*)
3) Encryption software like ZoneAlarm’s Hard Drive Encryption that “makes everything on your computer’s hard drive unreadable to unauthorized eyes”
4) Have your laptop make, model number and serial number so you can identify your property if it’s recovered or turned into lost and found
5) Stickers or unique identifiers on your laptop so you can quickly ascertain your own and make it harder for a thief to fence a stolen one
Happy holidays and safe traveling!
