Laptop Security

News: "4,973 laptops that were left in London taxi cabs over a six month period."

For many of us our laptop represents our mobile office on which we store a great deal of valuable information. But what would be the impact to you if you were suddenly to lose this essential business tool?

News: "At Heathrow airport an average of around 120 laptops are handed in every month, of which at least 15 or so will end up at auction."

Heathrow airport, the busiest international airport in the world, serves millions of business travellers each month, many of whom travel with laptops, but it transpires that hundreds of those laptops end up being handed in. As a result of airport chaos in the wake of recent heightened security that mountain of unclaimed laptops is now reaching record levels. Recently published research suggested a staggering 40% of all electronic devices lost at UK airports go unclaimed with mobile phones more likely to be left unclaimed than laptops and PDAs.

A worker at Heathrow commented that many people just assume their laptop won't have been handed in. Brand new laptops are handed all the time and if they are not claimed after three months they are auctioned off.

The above headlines are based upon real facts and make pretty grim reading. The fact that we rely so heavily now on our mobile computers means that we should take more care to ensure that we protect them and the valuable information they contain. It is staggering to read that people do not take better care of what is essentially a vital business tool. Little consideration seems to be given to the consequences of losing such a valuable piece of equipment.

Remember the loss of your laptop involves not just the replacement of the machine. What about all the information it contains? The wedding and holiday photos, not to mention other sensitive information it might contain.

Here is some useful advice and guidance that could help you protect your laptop and the information that it contains:

Do:

• Lock your laptop away when it is not in use or secure it appropriately;
• Ensure that all software, including anti virus software is kept up-to-date;
• Prevent computer viruses by using only company disks or CDs or files from a trusted source;
• Back-up your data on a regular basis. Store your backup disks or any hardware tokens separately from your laptop. Provide the same level of security as for the original data;
• Take particular care when travelling with your laptop, keep it under your personal supervision at all times;
• Report all losses of company-supplied laptops immediately to the appropriate security department;
• Advise your security team immediately if you believe your device may have been tampered with.

Don't:

• Store sensitive information on your laptop unless there is a clear business need and the device is configured for this purpose;
• Leave the laptop logged on and unattended, even for a short while;
• Leave the laptop in suspend or hibernate states. Always power the laptop down completely.

As highlighted, information is an extremely important asset and it is vital that you ensure its confidentiality, integrity and availability. Any compromise could have serious consequences for you from both financial perspective and on the reputation of your company.

About The Author

Martin Smith of the The Security Company (International) Limited takes security awareness very seriously. We recognise the key role that providing good advice and guidance can play in ensuring that people are regularly reminded of the importance of good security both on a personal and at a business level.

For more information on how you can prevent security breaches please click Information Security