by Eileen Eva

Created on: November 08, 2010

To some, losing a laptop could cost them more than replacing it. Some people store financial and sensitive information like usernames and passwords on their laptops and losing the laptop could lead to identity theft. Besides cell phones, laptop theft is rising with the following statistics on laptop theft proving it.

• PC Guardian (2007) reported that; “in 2005, 750000 laptops were stolen and the rate was growing at 20% yearly”, the Times Magazine (2003) also stated that; “in the US, 1600 laptops were stolen daily” and according to a report by Gartner Group (2002), “odds of a laptop getting stolen were 1 out of 10”.

• In terms of security breaches and identity theft, McClatch Tribune (2006) found out that; “stolen laptops contributed to about 57% of corporate crimes” and in 2004, the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit said that “stolen laptops were a bigger burden to businesses than computer viruses”.

Whether personal or business issued, a stolen laptop can land you or your business in a snag as a result of identity theft. A criminal seeking to gain access to your company will target your laptop for he knows it contains useful information about your company. Laptops are also stolen and re-sold in black markets. Although there is no fail proof way of preventing laptop theft, you can greatly reduce the chances.

Best Practices against Laptop Theft

Physical Protection:-

Do not leave your laptop in unsafe areas such as coffee shops, even when going to the rest room. Most people will ask a person seated near to keep an eye on the laptop, but they tend to forget that they do not know the credibility of that person. If your laptop is expensive, the stranger might decide to skip coffee and flee with the laptop.

Modern laptops have the option of using a security lock that you can attach to the laptop and a secure area. The mechanism used in these security locks is similar to that used in bicycles or briefcase locks. An example is Kensington Security Slot. Locks are normally secured in place using a key attached to a metallic cable. The cable can then be looped around a permanent object. This is useful especially when leaving a laptop in a car or office.

You can sign up for tracking services done via GPS or online. GPS is expensive but effective. This is because when the laptop is on, the GPS will be active and the tracking company can triangulate its location. The online tracking service depends on the laptop being connected on the internet.

Data Protection:-

Some people will steal laptops so as to get data and use it for identity theft. In 2007, a laptop belonging to a VeriSign employee was stolen from the car. The laptop contained personal identifiable information. Although not stated, the motive behind this could have been the data inside the laptop. To secure your data do the following.

If you handle sensitive information go for FDE (Full Disk Encryption). This will encrypt the entire hard drive, and if stolen, the data will be inaccessible. Hardware encryption is a good option as it also helps prevent cold boot attacks.

Although not very effective, passwords will block thieves from accessing your data. Create strong passwords that are unbreakable.

Combining FDE, strong passwords and RLS (Remote Laptop Security) will help safe guard the data should your laptop be stolen. You can also insure your laptop incase the worst happens.

Sources:

Laptop Theft Statistics (PDF)-

Kensington - Kensington Security Slot Specifications for Hardware

Absolute® Software - Computrace®

PGP - PGP Whole Disk Encryption

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