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Keeping Your Notebook Safe & Secure on the Road
Just as the notebook computer market has become a growth industry, so has the theft of notebook computers. In fact, notebook theft increased over 40% in 1998, and statistics show that 97% of stolen notebooks are never recovered. A few basic precautions can go a long way to make sure you and your notebook return from your trip together:
remember basic street smarts: don't leave your machine unattended or in a separate seat while waiting in airport; at the very least, keep it resting against your leg.
avoid putting your notebook on the X-ray conveyor belt; security checkpoints are common sites for airport scams. Instead, hand the unit to security staff for verification.
consider a nondescript notebook carry case, instead of one that announces "I am a name-brand notebook that cost a lot of money - please steal me"
Tie it down! Consider protecting your notebook in a hotel room, library, even your office by cabling it to a desk or other bulky object. Avanciel sells such cable/keylock systems from companies like Kensington and Targus. Or consider motion detector products like Targus' Defcon.
Make sure all important information on the machine is backed up, even if it means sending file to yourself as e-mail while on the road. For large data file, consider investing in a PCMCIA hard drive or removable drive like ZIP or JAZ.
If data on the notebook is sensitive, use an encryption scheme that goes beyond the simple password protection of programs like MS Word. One example is PC Guardian Encryption Plus, which encrypts your entire hard disk.
Consider installing CompuTrace, a tracking software that allows law enforcement agencies to pinpoint the exact location of your notebook if it is stolen!
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