It happens all the time—laptops with critical business data are left behind in airports or taxicabs or coffee shops. Here are six ways to minimize the risk of a lost laptop:
- Take care with passwords. Mike Spinney, a consultant with the Ponemon Institute, says a study his organization conducted indicated that failing to use passwords and authentication was the greatest employee security theft—above turning off security applications, downloading free apps with embedded malware, and not shredding paper documents. With Windows® 7 Professional you can easily create a log-on password that will make it harder for someone to access your data should your laptop fall into the wrong hands. But keep in mind that this may do little good if you leave passwords or access numbers in your computer bag—and someone makes off with the bag as well. Windows 7 Professional allows you to enter a password 'hint' so you don't need to carry the password on you.
- Encrypt your data. The program's Encrypting File System (EFS) Professional allows you to store selected information on your hard drive in an encrypted format, using industry-standard encryption algorithms and modern ciphers to help protect files against unauthorized access. You get to decide who can read the files.
- Understand the value of your laptop data. Security consultant Kevin Beaver was talking to an HR manager who insisted he carried no important data on his laptop—but after a couple of minutes, Beaver was able to find hundreds of credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and personal healthcare information stored on the laptop. Impress on employees the value of the data on their laptops, and give them simple reminders when they hit the road, such as: 'do not lose sight of your laptop bag at the airport or leave it at a hotel front desk.'
- Consider laptop insurance. If your laptop is expensive, you might want to consider insuring it. Coverage varies and usually includes reimbursement for theft, accidental damage (e.g., spilling a drink on the device), or fires and power surges. Some companies, like Safeware, specialize in insuring computers. If you're considering insurance, ask about types of losses that are covered, repair procedures, coverage amount, deductibles, and whether the policy covers countries to which you travel frequently.
- Report thefts immediately. Having a policy that requires employees to report a lost or stolen laptop as soon as possible may greatly reduce the cost of a mishap. The faster the company learns a laptop is lost, the lower the average cost of the loss will be.
- Trace a stolen laptop. Imagine if your stolen laptop could tell you where it was? There are programs (e.g., AbsoluteSoftware, Adeona, Prey, and others) that will report the laptop's exact physical location when the computer logs onto to the Internet.
