Laptop Security Tips!

By David Meacham, Certified Computer Consultants http://certifiedcc.com

We’ve all read about giant security breaches and loss of personal information stemming from a lost or stolen laptop. Fortunately for the prepared computer user, there are several ways to help stack the deck against such losses, and even improve the odds of getting your property back! While simple common sense is often the best sort of security, sometimes the situation is such that you have no control over your laptop being stolen, and that’s where extra precautions come in.

Physical Security

First and foremost comes the prevention of your laptop being taken in the first place. Always keep a hand on your laptop’s case in a busy area, and in places where that’s impossible (such as sending your laptop through the x-ray at airport security), make sure that you’re in a position to be keeping an eye on it. When using your laptop in a public area such as a convention hall presentation, make use of a laptop lock and tether your laptop to a large, heavy object. Also, be sure to write down the laptop’s serial number and register it with the manufacturer; that way if you report it as stolen and it comes in for service, the manufacturer will know to alert you. (You need to call the manufacturer and let them know that it’s been stolen for this to be effective.) Put an identification label on your laptop; several companies make metal labels with very strong adhesive for the express purpose of labeling expensive, theft-prone items. And of course, alert the police if it’s stolen; they maintain a registry of stolen items and can return it to you if they should find it.

Data Security

All the prevention in the world can’t protect you from every situation, and the unpleasant day may come that your laptop vanishes despite your best efforts. At this point, we turn our efforts towards ensuring that whoever has your laptop can’t use it and can’t access the data on it. First and foremost, you need to have a secure password on your laptop to prevent strangers from logging in on your account, and it’s even better if you set the computer to not automatically display your username when it’s turned on; that way a thief has to find both your username and your password rather than just the password. Be sure to disable or rename any guest or default administrator accounts on the computer; having a great password won’t protect you if anyone can just log on as a guest or admin with no password!

Having a secure operating system won’t protect you if someone can boot the computer off of a CD and get at your files that way. In order to prevent that, the laptop’s BIOS settings need to be set to disable CD booting, and a password needs to be placed on the BIOS to prevent someone from simply changing it back. Macintosh laptop users need to use the Open Firmware Password application on their installation CD to accomplish this.

If someone has your computer, they can pull the hard drive out of it, attach it to another computer, and try to get the data off of it. To prevent this, you should encrypt important information. Windows XP Professional allows you to encrypt files through the Encrypted File System, and Apple OS X has a similar feature called FileVault that will encrypt the files in your user directory. Windows Vista and 7 Enterprise and Ultimate editions take this an extra step by encrypting the entire drive with what Microsoft calls BitLocker security. If you have information on your laptop that will result in someone losing their job, savings, home, or life, it is definitely worth the time to encrypt those files!

One last thing: on top of working to secure the data in your laptop, you need to secure the data as it’s transmitted. Be wary of wireless networks, especially unencrypted wireless networks! If you’re getting lunch at a place with free wi-fi that doesn’t have a password, anyone around you can record the information you’re sending to the Internet. Likewise, normal Internet care still applies; be careful to avoid spyware and viruses. Good luck, and happy computing!