1. Lock it
2. Set a password
3. Use your fingerprints
4. Move up to security chips
5. Carry an encrypted USB drive



It's 9:00 a.m. That big meeting is about to start. Do you know where your notebook is?

By Mark Lorne

In Q1 of this year, worldwide notebook shipments jumped 28 per cent, an increase of three per cent over the same quarter last year, according to numbers from IDC. By 2011, IDC expects notebook sales to account for more than 50 per cent of the global PC market; in North America the desktop’s dominance will be toppled long before then.

This trend is driven by a workforce that is increasingly mobile, but the same portability that makes it easy for a knowledge worker to carry a notebook also makes it easy for a thief to carry one off. The Montréal Police, for example, report 3,928 laptops were stolen from vehicles in 2005 and, according to the FBI, 97 per cent of stolen computers are never recovered.

But companies and individuals can fight back, first by making notebooks harder to steal, and second by ensuring lost notebooks do not also mean lost data. Below are five steps to a more secure notebook.

1. Lock it. Kensington security slots are built into 99 per cent of all notebook computers, yet many employees are more likely to lock their bike to a tree than a notebook to a desk. If you’re leaving a boardroom for a coffee break, pause to thread a cable lock around your chair and onto the slot on your computer.

With notebook locks starting at around $40, it is the cheapest and easiest way to safeguard valuable corporate hardware.

2. Set a password. A recent study of business professionals found only about 50 per cent employ computer passwords, despite the fact this protection is built into every operating system.

While standard password functionality is a fairly weak lock—a hard drive can typically be removed and accessed from another computer—most PCs are stolen for the hardware resale value and passwords will keep casual snoops away from your company’s information. Those who need stronger passwords or to encrypt their hard drives can buy add-on software.

3. Use your fingerprints. The next time you evaluate notebooks for purchase, get one equipped with either a fingerprint reader or a TPM chip (detailed below).

Fingerprint readers operate in a way similar to passwords, except you don’t need to remember if it’s your dog’s name or your favourite childhood movie that grants you access. Once registered with the notebook, a simple fingertip swipe gets you in.

4. Move up to security chips. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chips deliver advanced security functionality and are built into notebooks and Tablet PCs from Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Toshiba and others. The chips store keys, passwords and digital certificates and offer file and folder encryption, local password management, secure e-mail and networking, etc. Many notebooks come with both fingerprint readers and TPM chips.

5. Carry an encrypted USB drive: Another way to secure mobile data is to keep it off your notebook altogether. Instead, road warriors can store files on an encrypted USB key. If your notebook is stolen, the sensitive data will be sitting in a pocket or briefcase, and if the USB key is lost the information on it is encrypted, safe from prying eyes.

Some combination of these steps will make your notebook far more secure than it probably is today. And here’s a quick bonus tip: make your notebook easy to return if it is lost or stolen. Stick a label on the back with “Reward, no questions asked” written in large letters, along with your address and phone number. Giving a couple hundred dollars to a thief may be galling but it’s a small price to get your business life back into your hands.

Mark Lorne is general manager, technology, Grand & Toy