Notebooks get stolen more often than you know. In fact, back in 2005, the CSI/FBI Computer Crime Survey said that unauthorized access and theft of proprietary information from computers had shown significant increase in the past year. (Read the survey for all the sordid details.) No surprise, because too many people with sensitive data on their notebooks just aren?t security conscious.
Getting it Back
Retrieving a stolen PC is tough, but there are ways to do it. I wrote Notebook Thieves? Bring Them On! In January with tips for securing and recovering your notebook (and PC, for that matter). I didn't have space in the column to talk about another recovery product -- ComputracePlus. When the thief logs onto the Internet, the $50 a year program silently alerts you, Computrace, and the police. For an extra fee, you can have the hard drive wiped clean of data remotely. Read Secure Your PC From Thieves and Andy Brandt's This Stolen Laptop Will Self-Destruct in 5 Seconds for more on Computrace.
Label It -- Now
I'm a labeler. Practically anything of value that I take on trips -- my notebook, camera, handheld -- has a label on it, with my name, cell number, and e-mail. My hope is that if I leave something behind, a fellow traveler will do the right thing and return it, providing I make it easy. I use a Dymo LabelManager PC (about $60 discounted) to create labels; it attaches to a USB port and prints a variety of label sizes and colors. I also label every AC-adapter and out-of-the-ordinary PC cable lurking under my desk. An alternative is their portable $20 Letra Tag. The deal is that you ought to do the labeling now, while it's on your mind.
Have you ever had your notebook swiped? Did you get it back?
