The Frightening Truth:
Laptops have become one of those devices
that is quickly going, and in some cases, already quickly gone from
something that only techies or high level business people owned to
something that even a poor college student finds a way to afford. This
is simply that our lives become wrapped around these objects. Think of
the cell phone. Ten to 15 years ago it was again only the techies or
important business people that owned a cell phone. Now even elementary
school kids have them so parents can be in constant contact when
necessary.
We all have had the moment when we though we had
misplaced our cell phone. Imagine losing your laptop. Not only is it a
fairly significant expense, but think of the data you have on there. You
probably keep a file with account numbers, you have your family
pictures stored there, maybe music, movies. The list is a long one and
an important one.
Therefore, make sure you follow the recommendations in this article on how to protect your laptop.
The
convenience of the laptop is obvious. The computing power and
versatility are equivalent to most desktop computers. With the advent of
wi-fi we can be on the internet almost anywhere and be emailing,
chatting, writing, surfing the net or shopping, all anywhere in the
world.
Here are some daunting statistics for laptop loss from 2008:
Relevant Data Loss and Data Breach Statistics
* 1 in 10 ...laptop computers will be stolen within the first 12 months of purchase.
* 97% ...of lost and stolen notebooks are never recovered.
* 50% ...of organizations reported laptop theft.
* every 43 seconds ...a computer is reported stolen.
* every 3 days ... an information security breach is reported in the U.S.
* 82% ...of all PC's will be mobile devices by 2008, increasing 4 times as fast as PCs.
* 4,425 ...laptops reported left behind in Chicago taxis during a six month period.
* 56 million ...individuals affected by significant U.S. data security breaches, 2005.
* 1 billion ...PC users expected by 2010, up from 660-670 million today.
*
57% ...of corporate crimes are linked to stolen laptops. The latest
crimes of espionage and sabotage are theft of executive personnel
devices to access vital financial or personnel data. (data source: http://www.datarevoke.com)
How Much Does Laptop Loss Cost?:
That completely depends on how you look at it and who is doing the looking....
Personal Laptop:
The
actual cost here is the cost of the laptop and if stolen while in the
laptop bag (most often this is the case) then you've lost all your
accessories as well. Not to mention possibly your wallet, MP3 player,
passport (eek!). Obviously the actual cost of items and the intangible
loss of items such as wallets, all your stored music, your passport,
etc. are vastly different.
Business or Corporate Laptop:
Here
the intangible costs can be astronomical. We have heard it on the news
more than once and most of us have had it hit us directly with someone
in the corporate world losing one or more laptops with critical customer
data on it. The cost the hardware is only about $4000, the information
carried upon it was could be worth millions..
Of course, to get to
valuable proprietary information is not the reason for all laptop
thefts some laptop thieves head try to quickly sell the laptop as-is.
However, some data indicate that about 10 percent to 15 percent of those
laptops are stolen by criminals intent on selling the data.
How to Protect Your Laptop:
With this in mind, what can we do as individuals to prevent our own personal loss?
Laptop Security Cables:
This
is one of the lowest cost and one of the most effective deterrents to
theft. As with most theft attempts, even a small amount of effort can
make a huge difference. For this to work you need to make sure that your
laptop is equipped with the appropriate feature to attach a cable. This
is called a Universal Security Slot.
It is important to pay
attention to what you are attaching the laptop and cable to. You
sometimes have to think like a thief. If you really wanted to get that
laptop could you? If you answer is yes, then you need to add more
security. Consider looping the cable through a hole drilled in the lag
of the desk. If you just loop it around the leg than all it takes is
some one strong enough to lift the desk enough to slip the cable under
the leg and whoosh! your laptop is gone...
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