Laptop Security for Travelers
This article may be freely reprinted as long as “About the Author” and copyright are included.
Most of us travel at least occasionally and traveler’s laptops are especially tempting targets for thieves. When a laptop is stolen it is at least a major inconvenience and if company confidential data gets into the wrong hands the results can be truly catastrophic.
There are some simple steps everyone can take while traveling to protect their laptop from physical theft.
General: Consider a locking cable and perhaps an alarm for your laptop. They are available from most computer stores. Carry your laptop in something other than a laptop bag, for example a briefcase or backpack.
Cars: Try not to leave laptops in a car. This isn’t always practical, but minimize it as much as practical. Never leave a laptop, laptop case, or briefcase in plain sight.
Airports, train stations, etc: Watch your laptop carefully! Certainly do not put it in checked luggage, and be extra vigilant when it’s going through the X-ray machine. Do not ignore or leave it alone for even a few seconds. If someone spills food or drink on you, watch that laptop – it could be a scam!
Businesses: Many laptops are stolen from businesses. If you don’t know if it’s safe to leave your laptop unattended then ask someone.
Hotel: Don’t leave your laptop or any laptop accessories visible in your hotel. Don’t leave your laptop in an obvious place, for example your briefcase. I usually put mine in a drawer mixed in with clothes.
Bus or shuttle: If you take a bus or shuttle, for example from the hotel to the airport, hold on to your laptop. Don’t put it “in back” with the other luggage.
It only takes a few seconds for a thief to grab a laptop. These simple steps will help protect your laptop, your data, and your business trip from disaster!
About the Author:
Ted Demopoulos has been consulting and delivering keynote speeches for companies like Cisco, IBM, and US Department of Defense on Information Security, IT Entrepreneurial Issues and Business Blogging since 1990. He can be reached at www.demop.com.
Copyright 2005 Demopoulos Associates.
Most of us travel at least occasionally and traveler’s laptops are especially tempting targets for thieves. When a laptop is stolen it is at least a major inconvenience and if company confidential data gets into the wrong hands the results can be truly catastrophic.
There are some simple steps everyone can take while traveling to protect their laptop from physical theft.
General: Consider a locking cable and perhaps an alarm for your laptop. They are available from most computer stores. Carry your laptop in something other than a laptop bag, for example a briefcase or backpack.
Cars: Try not to leave laptops in a car. This isn’t always practical, but minimize it as much as practical. Never leave a laptop, laptop case, or briefcase in plain sight.
Airports, train stations, etc: Watch your laptop carefully! Certainly do not put it in checked luggage, and be extra vigilant when it’s going through the X-ray machine. Do not ignore or leave it alone for even a few seconds. If someone spills food or drink on you, watch that laptop – it could be a scam!
Businesses: Many laptops are stolen from businesses. If you don’t know if it’s safe to leave your laptop unattended then ask someone.
Hotel: Don’t leave your laptop or any laptop accessories visible in your hotel. Don’t leave your laptop in an obvious place, for example your briefcase. I usually put mine in a drawer mixed in with clothes.
Bus or shuttle: If you take a bus or shuttle, for example from the hotel to the airport, hold on to your laptop. Don’t put it “in back” with the other luggage.
It only takes a few seconds for a thief to grab a laptop. These simple steps will help protect your laptop, your data, and your business trip from disaster!
About the Author:
Ted Demopoulos has been consulting and delivering keynote speeches for companies like Cisco, IBM, and US Department of Defense on Information Security, IT Entrepreneurial Issues and Business Blogging since 1990. He can be reached at www.demop.com.
Copyright 2005 Demopoulos Associates.
posted by Ted Demopoulos at 3:17 AM
Comments on "Laptop Security for Travelers"
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Brian said ... (Monday, May 02, 2005 2:23:00 PM) :
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Large John said ... (Tuesday, May 03, 2005 2:50:00 AM) :
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Ted Demopoulos said ... (Wednesday, May 04, 2005 12:13:00 PM) :
post a commentGreat points! Generally, when I travel I never let my laptop out of my sight. But I have some additional thoughts:
* When stowing your laptop (or anything else of value) in your car trunk, be sure to lock or disable the car's internal trunk release. It's easy for a crook to force open the door and simply pop the trunk from the inside.
* Make sure that your data is password-protected and encrypted. Windows XP generally takes care of this for you, but if you use an older OS, consider getting an encryption program or upgrading to XP. You can also get USB thumbdrives that act as security tokens, without which your laptop's data is inaccessbile. Far worse than the loss of your laptop, after all, is the liability you could accrue as a result of its data falling into the wrong hands.
My laptop's an etch-a-sketch with shirt buttons glued to it. If you think that's bad, you should see what i use for a cellphone! [Hint - it has string]
Brian,
thanks for your excellent comments1
Large John, are the shirt buttons still on your shirt and are your wearing it? If so your laptop should be OK