Ten Tips to Ensure Your Laptop is Safe Whilst Travelling

Laptops are a prime target for theft from offices, homes or at airports, hotels and in motor vehicles. Actually, where-ever a laptop is being taken, whether it is for business purposes or recreational purposes, it is prone to fall prey to thieves.

Laptops are an extremely attractive target for all types of thieves as they are small, can be carried without attracting attention and are easily sold for a good price. It is therefore not only the professional thief who is after it but also the petty or accidental thief who is acting on the spur of the moment and within a few minutes after stealing it could already find a buyer, even on the street.

The problem is, although insurance is available, due to the fact that it is a high risk item, premiums are abnormal high and although it is insured, information on the laptop cannot be insured or recovered. It is therefore very inconveniently when your laptop is stolen – especially when you are on the verge to give the most important presentation of your career.

Although you would never be totally able to prevent your laptop being stolen, there are a few basic security measures you can take or follow to lower the risk of your laptop being fallen prey to theft. When not in use, keep the laptop out of sight, preferably in a locked drawer, cabinet or better a safe.

Laptops are especially vulnerable when traveling. The following tips to ensure its safety:

1. Do not use the normal carry-case bought with the laptop. In stead buy or use a satchel or a backpack to carry it in. May be it won’t look that professional when you arrive for the most important presentation of your career, but at least you would be able to present it indeed.
2. Never let a laptop out of your sight in at airport or any other public area. When you need to put it down for instance at an airport counter or hotel registration desk, let it lean against your leg so you could feel its presence the whole time or hold it against your feet.
3. Make that sure that encryption software is installed on your laptop.
4. When going through airport security check points, don’t place your laptop on the conveyor belt until you are sure no one in front of you is being delayed. If you are indeed delayed while passing through the checkpoint keep an eye on your laptop.
5. When traveling by plane, do not place your laptop (or other valuables for this matter) in checked baggage. If you’re aircraft departure is delayed and you are directed or invited to deplane and wait in the terminal take your laptop and other valuables with you.
6. Ensure that your laptop is locked away in the boot under a seat at the beginning of the journey to avoid locking it away at parking areas in full view of onlookers.
7. Avoid leaving your laptop in a hotel room when you are going out. But if you must do it, at least lower the risk of theft by keeping it out of sight. Lock it in another piece of luggage or put it in the hotel vault or safe.
8. Whilst using the laptop in the office or elsewhere lock it with a computer-cable-lock to a non-movable object.
9. Never keep passwords or access phone numbers on the laptop.
10. At airport security checks, be prepared to open your laptop and even switch it on when requested.

It is everyone’s responsibility not only to rely on law enforcement agencies to prevent crime. As law-abiding citizen it is also your responsibility to take extra precautionary measures to safeguard your property against theft. Although insurance would replace the monetary value of your laptop, no insurance in the world can replace the intrinsic value thereof.

 Keep your eyes peeled!