First things first, you have to protect and secure your portable computer. It doesn’t come cheap and it contains sensitive information. Desktop users should also take the security of their machines serious but mobile users are more vulnerable. You cannot make your laptop 100% theft resistant, but you can get as close as it can get by following these precautions.
1. Note down the serial number of your laptop and the MAC address of its network interface card and keep it at a safe place. Your computer can only be identified by these numbers and can be very helpful to police or anyone else investigating to find a stolen laptop. There have been incidents when stolen laptops are tracked down by MAC Address when it’s connected to the internet.
2. If you can afford it, get your laptop insured. That will give you financial security. But computers lose their value real fast so I don’t consider this option worth the money. A better idea is to keep your sensitive data synchronized at another machine.
3. This is a must for all laptop users, no matter if you use it at home or work. Keep your laptop locked. Buy a laptop lock from any recognized company and use it all the time. You spent hundreds of dollars to buy the laptop, now don’t be stingy and spend few more dollars to buy the lock for it.
4. Keep your laptop password protected. You must set BIOS password, startup password, Windows password (if you use Windows), screen saver password, password for returning from standby, password for everything for which password can be set. Keep your archives and documents password protected. Encrypt your sensitive folders. Don’t set same password for every thing. Otherwise if someone is successful in breaking/guessing your password, they would have access to all your data. This approach might not protect your laptop from theft but it would make it very hard for any unauthorized person to use it.
5. Finally, be careful with the way you use your laptop. Avoid using it at public places like malls, bus stations, parks, or any place where you are vulnerable. Use it indoors where you can attach it with a lock.
How about noting down the IP address? I see helpful popups all the time telling me that I am broadcasting an IP address. I’m sure you could find an IP homing device to catch the thief when he goes online with that laptop.
You gotta be kidding?
ali, was that for me or fawad?
Fawad.
Fawad,
That does not make any sense. How would you know what IP address the laptop thief has when he goes online?
Umar,
Another cool thing would be to install some kind of GPS device on the laptop. Kinda like what they do at trakker.
Ali, yes I was kidding. The sentence
should have tipped you off.
Umar, don’t you think you’re focusing more on the replacable property (the laptop) than the stuff that is irreplacable (your data)?. I agree that locking down the data is a good first step, but to have copies of your data is usually more important than keeping it from falling into the wrong hands, IMHO.
fawad… you are right, but i wanted to cover the basics first. Securing your hardware is also as important as securing the data, specially if you have a portable computer. I will focus more on the data in my next posts of the series.
Hello,
My laptop is stolen and I have only the Serial Number. Is there any way how can I find the MAC address, since I now someone who told me that can find my laptop over the net, if only he has the MAC address.
Should I ask the product center of laptop or what to do.
If you now how to find it, I will be very thankful
Sincearely,
Miranda
Miranda, if you did not note down the MAC address of your laptop already, there is nothing much you can do. I am sorry.