Awareness Technologies Security Advisory: Top Tips to Prevent Laptop Theft

Awareness Technologies Security Advisory: Top Tips to Prevent Laptop Theft

Laptop theft and data loss are escalating concerns for companies of all sizes – from Fortune 500 level to small-to-medium sized businesses – and according to the FBI, 97% of stolen laptops are never recovered. As employees become increasingly more mobile and rely on multiple mobile devices from laptops, smartphones and iPads to conduct business, crimes associated with these devices are also on the rise. Malicious insiders as well as outside culprits are increasingly becoming more innovative and inventive in finding ways to steal valuable information and proprietary data from company and employee mobile devices and laptops that don’t have appropriate endpoint security.

Fortunately, there are ways that companies can protect themselves from theft. Ron Penna, Chief Strategy Officer at Awareness Technologies, who has a behind-the-scenes perspective on what really causes most laptop thefts, outlines the top tips for preventing mobile device theft:
Be aware of the three most common areas where mobile devices and laptops are stolen: airports, mass transit and automobiles – and always keep your items concealed when in a public place
In order to prevent anyone from mistaking your laptop for their own – a very common occurrence and major cause of theft – customize your computer and carrying case so that it is very distinctive
Be sure to encrypt your data to limit access should your computer be lost or stolen
Choose strong passwords that have a mix of letters, numbers, symbols and case sensitivity. Weak passwords can be cracked using information and/or products available on the Internet. And never leave access numbers or passwords in your carrying case
Use a screen guard to protect against strangers peeking at your screen when in use
With the rise of cloud services, consider storing important information that you will need in the cloud so that you still have access to it if your laptop is lost or stolen
Educate employees not to write passwords down on sticky notes attached to the computer. This practice is still very prevalent, especially if security requirements require frequently changing passwords.
Install laptop protection software that allows you to remotely retrieve and delete files on your device BEFORE it is stolen. This will give you peace of mind and protect you in the event that your laptop is stolen
While each of these tips can be very helpful in their own right, the most comprehensive, proven way to prevent laptop theft and data loss is the use of laptop protection software, that will allow you to remotely retrieve and delete any files from your computer without the thief’s knowledge, as well as geo-locate its position in real time and monitor all of their activities. For more information visit: https://www.laptopcopsoftware.com/.

About Awareness Technologies
As the pioneer in Unified Insider Threat Prevention, Awareness Technologies SaaS-based service is easily available and affordable for businesses of any size. Architected at the endpoint, clients can access 4 technologies including DLP, web filtering, employee monitoring and laptop recovery, through one agent download and one control console. Awareness Technologies has over 10,000 businesses world-wide currently depending on its solutions to protect their data from insider threats, and has been named on Deloitte’s 2010 Technology Fast 500, the MSPmentor 250, and the CRN’s 2009 Emerging Vendors list. www.awarenesstechnologies.com. .