Laptop Security |
A few words on laptop security
There are almost as many kinds of laptop computers as there are kinds of computer users, ranging from the recently introduced netbook all the way up to the high-performance gaming laptop. In addition to the vast array of hardware, there is an enormous range of data stored on these computers. Netbooks, for example, store virtually no data and act primarily as terminals to access information stored on “the cloud”, while in contrast, it is all too common to read of huge amounts of highly sensitive personal information being compromised by a laptop theft. Clearly, with this huge variation in circumstances, there can be no “one size fits all” security solution. With this in mind, I will try to describe the task of securing an expensive computer that contains very sensitive data and let the reader evaluate how much of the cautionary advice is appropriate in their circumstance.
First of all, common sense dictates that any computer will respond well to being properly cared for. If you drop it, spill coffee or soda in it, bake it in the sun, or otherwise mistreat it, all the theft prevention in the world will not keep your term paper from disappearing in a puff of smoke one day. That being said, a laptop computer should be physically secured to the greatest extent allowed by the circumstances of its use. This could involve locking it in a cabinet or desk when you aren't using it, attaching it to your desk with a security cable, or any of a wide variety of hardware solutions. Again, common sense will tell you that to advertise that you have a valuable item is an invitation to thieves, so to casually lock it in a cabinet before you leave work is preferable to leaving it in the open with a laptop security cable attached.
When you travel with your laptop, always keep it in your personal possession. If you leave it in your car, thieves may steal the whole car if they think the data on your laptop is worth the risk. Not only do they then have your laptop and its data to peruse at their leisure, but they have a getaway car that they can sell later on the black market. If you leave your laptop in your hotel room, thieves can gain entry in a number of ways. Never, ever, let your laptop out of your sight at an airport. If you can carry it in a backpack or small suitcase that is ideal. Be sure to pack it with plenty of padding and keep a close eye on it as it goes through the metal detector. An alarm that sounds when the laptop strays more than a few feet from its owner is an excellent precaution. In summary, when you travel with your notebook, treat it as if it was a large roll of hundred dollar bills because it is just as negotiable and you'll be at least as badly hurt if it disappears.
After you have done everything you can to physically secure your laptop, there is the matter of data security. No matter how careful and vigilant you are, there is always the chance that a thief, or team of thieves, will get the better of you one way or another. Properly securing your data will limit your losses to the price of the laptop they have stolen. First and foremost, you should have backup of your important data in a secure place, be it back at the office, on a USB drive in your home safe, or somewhere “on the cloud”. Many firms in the data processing field operate on the premise that if data only exists in one place, it does not exist at all, so always have backup of your important data. Doing so reduces the problem to one of keeping that data out of anyone else's hands. This is easily accomplished by encrypting the disk on which it resides. This technique is sufficiently developed that there are a number of excellent disk encryption systems, ranging from open source projects to commercial products.
Passwords should be as long as possible and contain letters, numbers, and punctuation when allowed. They should be random, so that social engineering will not reveal them, and they should be stored where they will not be stolen along with the laptop.
And now for the moment you've all been waiting for. Our own product, LappyTrack, is an excellent theft prevention and recovery tool. It is easily installed, difficult to defeat, and tracks your laptop's with a server “on the cloud”. Used in conjunction with many of the previously discussed techniques, it can become part of nearly any comprehensive security plan to thwart laptop thieves.