Laptops have become almost omnipresent in both the workplace and at home. Now, think about all of the things you store on your computer: accounting files, pictures, sensitive documents, tax information and previous tax filing, music, videos, and more. While replacing the actual laptop itself if it is stolen or misplaced is not necessarily a big deal, what about all that personal information that is now missing?
What Can Happen
In the corporate world, Intel in 2009 found that a single missing laptop cost the corporation about $49,000, including possible sensitive data breaches, loss of intellectual property, lost productivity, legal expenses, and consulting expenses.
In the personal world, some of our own customers who did not have a back up solution have lost years of business data, school projects, dissertations, irreplaceable family photos, and more.
How Do I Protect Myself?
While you can put a password on your laptop, it will only scare away or keep out the least resourceful of people. The easiest, and most obvious solution is to pay attention to your laptop when you have it with you. If you are in an airport, don’t leave it unattended or under the watch of someone you just met a few minutes before. When not using it, keep your laptop in a good laptop bag and keep that bag with you at all times when you are traveling.