Jay Gidwitz's Posterous

How to prevent theft and protect data

By taking the steps above, you maximize the chances that your laptop will be returned to you, whether it was stolen or simply misplaced. But what about precautionary measures? Here are a few things you can do beforehand to help make sure your laptop finds its way home and that your data stays protected.

1. Install Prey

Prey Project introduction from Carlos Yaconi on Vimeo.

Prey is a monitoring application that you can activate remotely should your laptop become missing or stolen. Prey then "calls home" to the Prey server (or your own server, depending upon configuration) once the laptop connects to the Internet. A Prey report gives the IP address, geolocation (complete with map) and even a screenshot from your webcam. You can also use Prey to lock your device to prevent others from accessing it.

2. Encrypt sensitive data

Personal data such as credit card, financial and medical records should always be encrypted—this is doubly true if your computer is portable. Encrypting your data will help to ensure that your identity doesn't get stolen along with your laptop and helps protect you from any liability regarding the loss of sensitive work files.

There are a number of good encryption tools out there, and many modern operating systems have encryption options baked in. One popular, free encryption tool for Mac, Windows and Linux platforms is TrueCrypt. Cross-platform and free, TrueCrypt is an affordable way to protect your personal files.

3. Make your laptop easy to Return

Consider placing a prominently named text file on your desktop (e.g. REWARD_IF_FOUND.TXT) containing your contact information and any information about a reward, if you can afford to offer one. These details will make it easier for anyone who's stumbled across your missing computer to return it to you without the need to go digging through personal data. It may even cause a remorseful thief to have a change of heart—especially if you can provide a way for the laptop to be returned anonymously.

4. Back up your data frequently

You should already be backing up your data on a regular basis to protect against hardware or software failure, but if you're not, the possibility of a missing laptop is just one more motivator to do so. If you're on the go with your laptop a lot, you may want to take advantage of online backup services like Dropbox. If you choose to backup to an external hard drive, don't store the drive in your laptop bag! While this is fine for protecting you from technical issues, having your backup hard drive stolen along with your laptop doesn't do you any good at all.

5. Consider an engraving

If you're serious about hanging onto your laptop, consider having your company or name and a piece of contact information such as your e-mail address or phone number engraved into a prominent location on your laptop. This greatly decreases its resale value and makes it obvious who the laptop belongs to. Engraving is a reasonably good deterrent against theft and provides just one more way of letting the finder of your laptop know who to return it to. Of course the downside to this is that it makes the laptop harder for you to sell as well, unless you replace the engraved portion of the case.