Over the last couple of months, I’ve come across some alarming statistics that you should know. There are 12,000 or so laptops found in US airports each week and 62,000 lost electronic devices recovered from New York’s metropolitan buses, taxis, trains, and stations each year!  I couldn’t locate the statistics for Canada, but it’s a safe bet the numbers are equally frightening. The bottom line is no matter how careful you are with your laptop, mistakes occur and losing a laptop (or having one stolen) is likely to happen to you or your employees at some point in time.

In the hands of a relatively unsophisticated hacker, all of your laptop information can be siphoned off, allowing an open back door into your network. This is akin to giving a thief the key to your office and the code to deactivate the alarm. Imagine the embarrassment of having to contact all of your customers to let them know THEIR confidential information may be compromised because one of YOUR unsecured laptops is in the hands of a criminal!

Asking employees to be more careful about where they keep their laptop IS a good step in the right direction, but accidents happen and thieves are always on the prowl. That’s why it’s so important to take measures to lock down and secure any mobile devices you and your staff use to access your company’s network. Here are just a few things:

Encrypt All Information

Drive encryption software such as BitLocker (which is included in some versions of Microsoft Windows Vista) can secure all the data on your hard drive. Also, check your computer to see if it has a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip which is generally more secure than those without TPM. 

Multi-Level Access Security

Don’t rely only on passwords to keep your laptop safe. Hackers can usually break most passwords in a few hours. We recommend adding a second way for people to prove that they are who they say they are BEFORE they are able to log in. Some people use smart cards to do this, but fingerprint pads are gaining in popularity.

Log / Back-Up Information

It’s critical to log and back-up all information on business laptops to ensure smooth operations in the event of loss or destruction. Backups can be automated so they are done ON SCHEDULE and in a way that won’t interfere with the use of the laptop.

The Right Response

What happens when an employee loses a laptop? Do you have a next step action plan in place? If not, we suggest calling your computer support provider to report the loss immediately. The sooner they know, the sooner they can take preventative actions to lock that laptop out of the  network.  A blame culture where people are afraid to report losses is very bad for security.

Take the time NOW to secure your laptop and limit the damage to your business if it happens.