As our world becomes more mobile through technology, the methods of protecting your property and information require diligent effort. Laptop computers provide users with the ability to accomplish work from any location. With the increased processing speeds and the ability to take work on the go, reliance on this technology is increasing, especially for small businesses. Independent care professionals are recognizing the ability to work from any location by having their information with them at all times. Protecting both the sensitive client data and the hardware itself are of concern to those who opt to take their data out of their office.

In 2005, more than 600,000 laptops were stolen in the United States with an estimated $720 million in hardware and software losses and an estimated $5.4 billion in theft of proprietary and private information. Laptop theft statistics indicate that the theft of laptops is increasing at the rate of 100,000 each year. According to the Gartner Group, your chances of having a laptop stolen are 1 in 10.

The risk to a care professional if their laptop were to be stolen is of great concern. Not only would they lose productivity time recreating their work, but they would also open up client information to unscrupulous individuals. In order to benefit fully from this mobile technology, client data needs to be stored on the machine. This raises the need to protect the data from theft or other loss to utilize the technology to its fullest, while protecting it. There are many steps that are available to protect the data and the hardware. Of course, the more levels that are implemented, the safer the information and hardware will be.

The Very First Step

When your laptop arrives, all shiny and new, take a moment to immediately register the unit with the manufacturer. This registration can be invaluable. Your insurance company could use this registration record, in the event of a loss claim. It can also be used to track you down if a found laptop is your missing laptop. It’s worth an extra moment to take this action.

To Backup or Not to Backup

Backing up your data is important for so many reasons beyond the ability to rebuild information should your computer be stolen. All data on all of your computers should be backed up on a regular basis. Usually you will create a full backup when you begin storing your data and then will implement incremental backups that gather and store the information that was changed each day. Keeping multiple copies of this information both onsite and offsite will minimize the loss you may feel should your laptop be stolen. A very good backup software option can be found at www.genie-soft.com.

CMOS Boot Password

A very simple thing that you can do with any computer is to give it a boot password. This password is required as soon as the computer is turned on, before anything will load on it. Every computer has a different method to get to the CMOS configuration, but all of the methods require hitting a certain key combination as soon as the computer first beeps. Most computers use the F8 key or the F4 key. If your computer has a CMOS boot password configured, then you will have to enter that password to get into the configuration screens.

CMOS configuration handles how all of the hardware in your computer operates so it is best to have your computer support person assist you with the setup of this password. They will also be able to figure out how to get into the CMOS on your computer to create the boot password. This is a type of password that can be thwarted, so caution must be taken to use several levels of protection beyond the CMOS boot password.

Username & Password Logins

You should be using Windows XP on all laptops that are used in the field. Within Windows XP, you should be utilizing the username and password login for the Operating System. In addition, you will want to disable any standard logins that come with the machine or change passwords to preconfigured administrator logins. It is even a good idea to change the name of the administrator account or create an administrator account that has access to nothing to waste the time of the would be hacker. All guest or other user accounts that do not have passwords should be removed from field based laptops to avoid backdoor entry points.

Any time a computer is being used in the field, it should be set to require that a password be entered to login. All logins should have complex passwords that include letters and numbers and that do not contain the username. Make sure that you set the computer to not display the last logged in name so that when do a CTRL+ALT+DEL to lock your laptop, your username will not be visible.

Most software programs available in today's market have username and password security logins and these should be implemented in laptops used in the field. Even Microsoft Word documents and other production documents should be password protected on a laptop computer, taking special care to protect any documents that include proprietary business or client information.

Some of the applications that are used by care professionals that have password protection are QuickBooks, Timeslips, JewelCode, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint. Utilize all password functions on software that you use on your mobile laptop computer.

Public Internet Connections

If you use public Internet connections in coffee shops, airports or hotels there are specific security risks to address. Using these networks will connect your computer to an unknown number of other computers. Some computers connected to those networks are there for the sole purpose of finding unprotected information on unsuspecting computers. There are specific ways to practice safe connectivity in this situation.

1) Do not have any files, folders or drives on your computer that are configured to share. It's okay if you share the drives, files or folders when you're in the office, if you have a protected network, but as soon as you are going to connect to an unprotected network you should make sure to disable all sharing. If you do not disable file sharing then anything that is shared on your computer will become viewable to any other computer on the public network connection just by surfing to your computer and rifling through your folders. The disabling of sharing is the surest way to make sure that nothing is within public view should someone access your computer, looking for information.

2) Create hidden and protected folders to store your documents on your mobile machine. This involves adding a $ sign to the end of the share name when configuring folders and mapped drives. You will want to work on this with your computer support person to make sure that it is configured for optimum security. There are products available that will reveal all shares on a computer, even if they are hidden, so this is a security precaution. The only sure way to prevent access to your folders and files is to make sure that they are not shared.

Physical Protection Methods

Every piece of hardware that is used in your business should be protected with some form of physical protection. For example, metal tags called asset property tracking tags are available to place on each piece of equipment. You can find many options at www.computersecurity.com.

Additionally, today’s laptops are built with a built in security slot. This slot is created in laptops to work in conjunction with laptop cable lock kits. These slots let you connect a cable with a locking device to your laptop so that you can lock it down in virtually any location.

Another option for physical protection is to engrave your computer with an identifier. This will not protect your computer from being stolen but may aid in return if it is stolen.

Caution is Always Needed

Ultimately, even with the myriad of solutions to protect your mobile asset and information, the primary protection is going to be how you safeguard the laptop. Use common sense about where you store the machine when traveling. Don’t set your laptop bag down in a location that gives easy access to passersby. Don’t lock your laptop case in plain site in a rental vehicle. If you leave your laptop in your hotel room, be very creative. If the hotel has a safe, it is the best place to have your laptop locked, but make sure that you get a receipt.

If there is no safe and you must leave the laptop behind, think about creative options within a hotel room. Use the cable lock to lock it to a permanent metal fixture or hide it in such a way that nobody will know that you’ve left it in your room. Perhaps putting it between the mattresses, or under a small opening on the TV stand. Some people even turn off the refrigerator and put the laptop inside the freezer portion, once its warmed. Leaving the laptop case in one section of the room away from where you’ve hidden the laptop may add the illusion that you’ve taken your laptop along. There are creative options to protect your assets.

What if the Laptop is Stolen?

What if you've implemented these safety features and your laptop is stolen? Every laptop and in many cases, every desktop should utilize Computrace's LoJack for Laptops. It can be used on desktops or laptops and it is the same technology used in LoJack for automobiles. If your laptop is stolen, the LoJack for Laptops Recovery Team is able to track your computer and they partner with local law enforcement to recover your laptop and return it to you.

To use this method, you install the software and register on the LoJack web site. Your laptop silently and securely contacts the LoJack Monitoring Center. If your laptop is stolen, you file a police report and contact the LoJack Recovery Team. Your laptop is placed on high alert. As soon as it is connected to the Internet it receives a message that it has been stolen, and it will call in every 15 minutes to allow for tracking. The Recovery Team contacts law enforcement and they recover the laptop. Law enforcement is willing to recover laptops because they often find more in depth crime scenes when a property theft location has been reported. If they are unable to recover your laptop, they will refund the money you paid for the LoJack for Laptops software.

You can learn more about LoJack for Laptops at www.lojackforlaptops.com.

Action is the Preferred Policy

It is up to the care professional to protect their client data and mobile assets. The methods discussed in this article will lend a hand to successfully protecting these valuable possessions. Put a policy in place for your workplace and follow through on the policy. By being prepared, you will minimize the loss if you become a victim of this thoughtless crime.