How To: Protect your Notebook & the data in it
Notebook (by ‘notebook’ here, I mean a mobile computer, you can call it laptop, tabletop, desknote, tablet, portable, vaio, or anything that you like) theft is getting rampant, especially in our country. I have personally experience this scenario where my notebook (and the entire bag and my laser mouse *sniff*) was stolen and it ended up on a grey market in Indonesia. How did I know? The poential buyer actually send mt a message via Yahoo! Messenger asking for my BIOS password!
Here are some tips that you can do to make your notebook more secure. We’ll start with the basic before going to technical, because usually the basic measures are the ones being neglected all the time.
1. Treat it like your Wallet
If you value your notebook so much (even more for the data within), then by all means treat it like your wallet – bring it everywhere you go, even if it is “only 5 minutes” – that’s enough time for anyone to snatch them away! If you have to sit and wait for something, then prop it against yourself, where you can feel the presence, or even better – keep the strap around your shoulder, or between your legs.
For those drivers – this has been highlighted many times – never, ever, ever leave your notebook in your car, regardless of where the location you hide it – yes not even your trunk is safe!
2. Don’t tell the world that you are carrying a notebook
Branding is one thing, but having a huge “HP” or “VAIO” sign right next to the bag you’re holding will instantly announce to everyone that “there’s probably a valuable electronics device inside”. Be smart. A couple of manufacturers, even Targus, have manufactured a “slip-on” cover for your precious notebooks so they can be carried in a normal backpack or a briefcase
3. Secure your notebook on your desk.
This has been ignored by quite a number of people – especially consumers. If you never know the existence of a Kensington Lock, then I would suggest you to get one and tie the notebook to your desk – the concept is similar to ships and their anchors. These things aren’t really expensive – so why don’t get one?
Quite a number of my unlucky friends have lost their notebooks in their own home when someone breaks in and simply lift their notebooks away. At least when you have some sort of mechanism to secure the notebook to the desk, they might think twice about it.
4. Make your notebook hard to access, even when stolen
Secure everything you can – put a BIOS password – experts would probably be able to reset the password easily, but for others, it will keep them busy for a long while.
Never use auto-login or user without password. This might seem an annoyance that you have to key in a password everytime you start the PC, but hey what if you store those hot picture with someone you meet in Bali and it got stolen on your way back? You might not like it when the photos spread across the world a few days after it now, right?
5. Always keep backup (lol).
This is another thing that a LOT of people did not do. Backups! Especially if you’re an employee traveling in company’s behalf – or simply an entrepreneur traveling around securing deals. You would not like it if all your trade secrets are stolen just like that, right? Keeping backup will at least ease your pain in a way that you can still continue whatever you’re doing, without starting from scratch.
If you can’t bare with all these basic way of securing your notebook – I would suggest you re-think of whether you really need it in the first place. If you do, then take the risk. Otherwise, get yourself a PDA or something :)
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