Don't Let Your Laptops be "Sitting Ducks"!

by Skeleton Star

Did you know? Over 1,500 laptops are stolen every day (per MIT's Technology Review Magazine). Don't let the next one be yours!

The laptop computer has forever changed the way most of us do business. We are no longer chained to our offices and desks; in fact for many of us, when we travel, so does our office - in the form of a laptop. Small wonder, then, that this little electronic marvel has become a premium target for thieves. This is especially true in airports, where the laptop owner has the vulnerability of being in a stressed situation, surrounded by many people and distractions.

When a thief strikes and grabs your laptop, what else is the culprit getting? Your data too? Perhaps some floppy disks or CD's containing confidential data that you left in the laptop case because you were following good security practices of not leaving sensitive information on your hard drive.

Previously reported laptop thefts in airports frequently involved two people: one to distract you and another to make off with the "goods." You are a prime target for being distracted while you are going through the X-ray machine, using a pay phone, checking in your baggage, or getting your boarding pass... just long enough to take your eyes off your laptop. That's all it takes.

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Here are a few tips to avoid being a victim of laptop theft:

• Don't keep mission critical data on your hard drive.
• Don't carry your data CD's / diskettes in the laptop case.
• If you have a shoulder strap, use it.
• Avoid putting your laptop in a suitcase and checking it in as regular baggage.
• Make double backups of your important data, and keep them separate from the originals.
• Try to avoid keeping important papers in your laptop case.
• Implement one of the available laptop-oriented portable security systems to combat the loss of valuable hardware and the important data within, e.g., a combination cable lock; a keyed cable lock; a motion sensor alarm; a cable anchor; etc.

Most of all, keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. These few precautions, while not completely foolproof, will decrease the chances of you becoming a victim.

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Skeleton Star is a business whose tagline is: "Providing Business Essentials... Making B2B Easy." Skeleton Star owns and operates several web sites of which the following is key to new entrepreneurs: Business Practices.

The author of this article, at one time, was an IT Staff Auditor for a Fortune 10 company, and later managed the global Information Security Program for the Information Technology organization that supported a Fortune 10 company. Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright or other rights.

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