Securing Your Laptop Before It Gets Stolen

If your laptop happens to be stolen, like mine recently was, it can be a big hassle to protect your data after the fact. That’s why it’s important to know how to secure your laptop before it’s gone.

The easiest way to do that, of course, is simply not to keep any sensitive information on your laptop in the first place. “I recommend you don’t store any sensitive documents on your hard drive, particularly if it’s a laptop, and instead store those documents in a U.S.B. flash drive and store that in a locked secure place,” said Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Still, with that strategy alone, it’s hard to guarantee that there is not any sensitive information on your hard drive. And it may be difficult to completely keep your computer clean of your passwords and site visit history. Luckily, a host of high-tech encryption and antitheft tools now exist that can help make sure your information will be safeguarded in the event your laptop is ever stolen.

First, Jay Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, recommended making sure any sensitive information was encrypted. “Encryption would be like having a safe beyond a locked screen door. Thieves may be able to get into the house but they won’t be able to get into the safe unless they have safe-cracking skills,” he said. “And if that’s the case, why aren’t they taking down a bank instead of bothering with you?”

In terms of encryption tools that can help you do this, this recent New York Times article, “Safe Travels for You and Your Data,” runs through some of the major encryption software options.

Among the options mentioned, you can use BitLocker in Windows Vista and 7 and the open-source tool TruCrypt for Windows, Mac and Linux to encrypt your full disk. With encryption, Mr. Foley said, you basically set up a code and then the encrypted information will remain scrambled until you put that code back in.

Still, the average consumer may need some help using some of these services. TrueCrypt “is a very difficult program for new computer users to use,” said one antitheft product aficionado I know, Andrew W. Chen of Los Angeles.

Beyond just encryption, Mr. Foley said other software offerings, like that from The CyberAngel, combine encryption services with the ability to have your machine locked up or tracked if it’s stolen.

MyLaptopGPS, he said, offers similar functions as does Absolute Software, which offers a host of computer security tools. One of its tools, LoJack for Laptops, can help you track down your lost computer and remove data from it once it’s stolen. According to Mr. Foley, many of these types of services use the Internet to help track a stolen laptop worldwide. This can mean, however, that you may be out of luck if the thief doesn’t go online.

Among other helpful sources, this recent New York Times story, “Putting a Private Detective in Your Laptop,” also runs through a number of the software antitheft offerings out there. According to the article, some of these software offerings try to locate the computer when it’s connected to the Internet or lock it down, while others monitor how the computer is being used and take pictures of the user. Another offering is reviewed in this Gadgetwise blog post.

How have you secured your laptop? What high-tech tools do you recommend?

By JENNIFER SARANOW SCHULTZ
bucks.blogs.nytimes.com

Posted in News