SMB Networks / Security /

Lessons in laptop security

By Jeff Zbar
Net.Worker, 03/26/01

The laptop is not only a teleworker's power tool. It's a thief magnet. Securing confidential or proprietary data when you're on the road or you work beyond the enterprise is a pressing issue.

Think this is someone else's problem? Think again. In the U.S. in 1999, 319,000 notebook computers and 27,000 desktop computers valued at close to $1 billion were stolen, according to Safeware, the Columbus, Ohio computer insurance agency (www.safeware.com). Laptops are cheap compared to lost or pilfered data. That same year, Fortune 1000 companies experienced losses of more than $45 billion from thefts of proprietary information, according to the American Society for Industrial Security.

Want to protect your proprietary content? Protect your laptop and network connection. Low-tech tools for the home office include permanently mounted hardware like Kryptonite's KryptoVault ($79.95). Three steel "arms" wrap around the laptop, securing it to the desk. The unit can't be heisted, and because the arms cover most floppy or CD-ROM drives, data is safe too. Secure-It's The Notepad also secures the laptop beneath a crossbar cabled to the workstation ($79.95).

For the business traveler - Kryptonite's Cable lock, Kensington Lock's MicroSaver ($74.99), and Secure-It's Kablit, X-Lock and iBook cable locks ($29.95 each) or Vanguard II, which attaches to the 9-pin adapter on the back of the PC ($39.95) - can tether the laptop to any immovable object.

The Targus DEFCON 1 Notebook Computer Security System ($49.99) motion sensor alarm transmits a 45-second 110 dB audible alarm whenever the cable is severed or the unit is moved. With the Trackit key chain transmitter ($49.95), the laptop owner can monitor the computer from up to 40 feet away. Get separated from your case, and a 110 dB siren sounds.

If the thief absconds with the hardware, any laptop armed with Absolute Software's CompuTrace ($49.95 for software and 1 year of monitoring) can be tracked by CompuTrace's online service the next time the PC logs on to the Internet. Call-blocking features can't hide it, and hard-drive reformatting and disk partitioning won't erase the hidden software, the company says.

Caveo Technology's Caveo Anti-Theft is a combination software/hardware device that creates a unique form of biometric-like security. By installing a tilt-motion sensor on a PC card or motherboard, the software application disables the laptop if it is stolen. The owner or user creates a physical "motion password" that consists of two or more angled or tilting motions of the computer. The motion is designed to engage or disengage the software alarm, creating "location awareness" in the computer. Once engaged, the computer knows it should be stationary; the motion of someone lifting or walking with the laptop - but not idly bumping or brushing against it - will set off the alarm. The system also locks down access to data so outsiders cannot review or download content from the computer.

Still, the best defense against theft is low-tech: common sense.

Keep the laptop close at hand when in public. Stay especially keen when passing through airport security or while manning a tradeshow booth.

Use a nondescript briefcase or attach� to carry your laptop, instead of a dedicated carry case.

Back up key data onto floppy disks, networks or Web-based data storage and retrieval services. Carry all disks separately from the laptop.

Engrave the company name, or the teleworker's name or state driver license number in a conspicuous place. Never use a social security number.

Regularly change access passwords, and never use network access default "save password" features.

Turn off the computer, or disconnect the Internet connection when not working for long periods. If connecting from a home DSL or other broadband connection, use a firewall to prevent hackers from getting into your computer or your company's network.