from MS-ISAC
Secure Your Laptop
Friday, July 02, 2010, 6:00:03 AM
Laptops are increasing in popularity for both business and personal use. The portability of laptops makes them extremely convenient. However, we must also be aware of the security risks from the loss or theft of laptops, and take proper precautions. The potential loss is twofold; the loss of the laptop itself and any personal, private or sensitive information that it may contain.
Laptops can easily be stolen from the locked trunk of a car, at an airport security checkpoint, at an Internet cafe or even from a hotel room. Keep these tips in mind when you travel with your laptop:
- Secure your laptop when unattended (e.x. attach the laptop with a security cable to something immovable or to a heavy piece of furniture when it is unattended).
- Don’t store your password with your laptop.
- Don’t leave your laptop in your car.
- Don’t store your laptop in checked luggage.
- Keep track of your laptop when you go through airport screening. Hold onto your laptop until the person in front of you has gone through the metal detector, and watch for your laptop to emerge from the screening equipment.
- Use tracking software. Consider use of commercial software that reports the location of a stolen laptop once it’s connected to the Internet.
- Backup your files. Make a backup of your files before every trip. In the event that your laptop is lost or stolen, you will still have a copy of your data.
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