Physically Guard Your Laptop

SecurityTip: Keep your laptop in your possession at all times.

1. Treat your laptop like you would a wallet or purse containing a lot of money and personal information.
   Your laptop is equally or more valuable than your wallet or purse, which you wouldn’t think of leaving unattended. Your laptop may contain passwords, access codes, and auto-login scripts to your own or university accounts. Loss of your laptop’s contents may cost you or the university much more than its retail value if your identity and confidential, personal, and/or proprietary information is stolen, or if our campus computing resources are breached. Just as important, your laptop case may contain other important information and storage devices, such as a PDA with passwords; cell phone; floppy disks or cds; personal information (e.g., Social Security Number); other passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), and access codes. In the wrong hands, access to all this information could be devastating to you and/or the university. If thieves do not find the identity information they are seeking, they will most likely discard or sell the laptop, continuing its vulnerability to unauthorized access.
2. If allowed, put a distinctive marking on your laptop.
   Apply a marking to your laptop that will distinguish it from others (e.g., paint, a decal, or an etching). [Note: If this is a university laptop, obtain permission from your department to apply a professional looking marking. if the laptop is leased or financed, it cannot be marked in any way.]
3. Never leave your laptop unattended, even for a few seconds.
   Do not leave your laptop on your chair, a table, shelf, car seat, store counter, restaurant table. When sitting in the bus, plane, taxi, or train, or restaurant, never leave your laptop on the seat beside or behind you. Keep it on your lap or on the floor between your feet. Remember, consider you laptop like your wallet or purse – don’t leave it unattended for any reason. Otherwise it may not be there when you get back! If you must set your laptop down, put it in front of you between your feet. Never put it down out of sight. If you can’t have the laptop in your possession, lock it in a safe place until your return.
4. Never ask others, especially strangers, to watch your laptop for you.
   You are responsible for your laptop. No one else will have the same appreciation or responsibility for safeguarding it as you do.
5. Disguise your laptop’s carrying case.
   Thieves are on the lookout from standard laptop carrying cases.  Therefore, store your laptop in a case that doesn’t look like a typical one. Use an old book bag or ordinary luggage – something that is inconspicuous. Do not use a case with your laptop’s, company’s, or institution’s name or logo on it. Do not use luggage tags where your name and address or company’s name and address are visible. If you must use a luggage tag, use one with a flap that covers up your identifying information.
6. Carry your laptop in a case with a strap worn diagonally across your body, with the laptop placed in front of your body.
   If you carry your laptop behind you, thieves can unzip or unbuckle the case and take off with your computer before you realize it’s gone.
7. Lock your laptop in the car trunk.
   Never leave your laptop visible in your car. Keep it out of sight at all times. Make sure no one is watching as you lock your laptop in the trunk. Be careful not to lock your laptop in your car on extremely hot or cold days. When driving, keep your laptop on the floor – not on a seat where it could fall to the floor if you make a sudden stop, or where someone could easily smash a window and grab it while you are stopped at a light. Always remember to lock your car! Never leave your laptop in an unlocked car, even if it is in your own garage or driveway. Consider using a device or safe that makes stealing a laptop more difficult.
8. Do not leave your laptop unattended in your office.
   Because of relatively easy access, the office is a high risk location for laptop theft. Even if your laptop is in a docking port, secure it to your desk with a separate laptop cable locking device, preferably one with an alarm. When you are finished using your laptop for the day, lock it in a file cabinet or desk drawer. Take care that only authorized persons have access to your work area – and keep unauthorized persons out.
9. Do not place your laptop near an exterior window.
   Do not place your laptop where thieves can easily break a window and take off with your computer.
10. Place your laptop on safe, stable surfaces.
    Do not place your laptop where it could fall or be run over.
11. Use your laptop at room temperature. N
    ever use your laptop immediately after bringing it in from a cold car to a warm room. Allow your laptop to warm up to room temperature for several minutes before using it to avoid condensation on metal parts.

Other Laptop Security Tips

Select the links below for tips on securing your laptop computer.

1. Implement Security Measures on New or First-Issued Laptops
2. Safeguard Laptop Contents
3. Secure the Wireless Laptop Connection
4. Physically Safeguard the Laptop
5. Secure the Laptop When Traveling
6. Report Laptop Damage, Loss, Theft, and Security Breaches

For more information:

• Lost or Stolen Computer or Electronic Storage Device Report (selectn the Incident Response top on the ITS Forms web page)
• User Guidelines for Reporting a Lost or Stolen Computer or Electronic Storage Device on the Information Technology Guidelines and Policies web page

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