Keep your laptop safe

In 2005, laptops sales surpassed desktop models for the first time in the US. Laptops have now become as powerful as desktop counterparts; prices have decreased on laptops; and built-in wireless connections make laptops more portable than ever.

With the rise in the number of laptops, the opportunities for theft also grow. A laptop computer represents the ultimate in mobility and convenience. It allows its user to engage in entertainment or get work done from relatively any place at any time. This is why laptops are frequent companions – and thieves know it.

According to FBI estimates, the second most common crime, just after identity theft, is laptop theft. Each year, two million notebook computers are reported stolen, which doesn’t take into account laptops left at airports, coffee shops and bus terminals.

Many people take the steps to safeguard the information stored on laptops, using firewalls, passwords and other security systems, but far fewer put the same attention to safeguarding the laptop itself. All it takes is a few minutes of distraction for a laptop to be stolen. And when a laptop is stolen, the owner not only loses an expensive piece of equipment but any personal information stored on it.

Here are ways to keep a laptop safe.

• Would anyone keep a wad of cash in plain sight ripe for the taking? Probably not, if they’re wise. But many laptop owners leave their computers in the backseat of cars or in other visible places, enticing thieves. Treat a laptop like cash, keeping it in sight at all times, and it will be less likely to be lost.

• Use a laptop security cable to make the laptop less portable when keeping it in a hotel room or other place. There are also other alarms, bells and whistles that can alert an owner if her laptop is moved.

• Owners shouldn’t put a laptop on the floor or in another place where their eyes aren’t constantly on it. If they’re dining out or at a business lunch with a laptop, they should keep the bag between their feet if they must store it below the table.

• Toting a laptop in a laptop bag is just advertising what is inside it. Consider using a backpack or a laptop bag that looks like a purse or a briefcase instead.

• Keep in mind that parked cars are a favorite target for laptop thieves. Whenever possible, do not store a laptop there. If that is necessary, keep it out of sight.

• The confusion and shuffle of airport security checkpoints can be fertile ground for theft. One should keep an eye on his laptop while going through security, holding onto it until the person in front of him has gone through the metal detector and remaining watchful when it emerges on the other side of the screener.

Note: Other electronics, including portable DVD players, MP3 players and cell phones, are also prime targets for theft. Use similar safeguarding measures for all electronic devices.