Buying and using a laptop - articles, tips and advice

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How to Protect the Data on Your Laptop

Every year, hundreds of thousands of laptop computers is being stolen. Every passing day we hear a story of a missing laptop with sensitive data on it.

What can average user do to protect the data on his or her laptop?

To begin with, you can buy a lock. Locking cables are used to secure your laptop to a motionless object. A good number of locking cables cost from $20 to $70. You can find more advanced and therefore costly models that come with an audible alarm.

You should register your laptop. If you fill out your laptop’s warranty card, the producer will have a record of ownership. You can also register your notebook with property protection programs.

Your next option is to lock down boot-up. You can set your laptop to ask for a password before loading the operating system. Select a password made up of letters, numbers and symbols.

Seagate hard drives protect data using encryption technology. It makes information useless to anyone who does not have the code. The technology can also erase data on the drive instantly.

Absolute Software of Vancouver, B.C. offers a service called CompuTrace LoJack for Laptops. Stolen laptops, using installed software, quietly report their location to Absolute Software the first time they are connected to the Internet. The company contacts local police cops to coordinate recovery. The service costs $50 a year.

Inspice Trace is a package that offers remote data destruction. It erases irrecoverably the contents of the drive in the event it is stolen. The Inspice Trace software also tracks the location of a stolen laptop.

You should also consider biometric security devices such as fingerprint scanners. They allow only authorized users to use the laptop.