By | No Comments
Last updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Notebooks are made to hit the road. But many people don’t actually travel very often with them — until vacation time, that is. That’s when lots of planning needs to be done to be sure that your notebook gives you what you need when you’re away. Here’s a checklist of things to remember when you’re preparing your digital travel companion for the big trip. Security First Thieves love notebook computers — and for many of the same reasons you do. They’re light, easy to transport, and they have a decent resale value. So before you go, be sure you’re not going to satisfy the needs of a notebook thief. First of all, consider ditching the notebook carrying case, since these scream “notebook computer” to everyone around you. Notebooks and their accessories are small these days, and they can fit just as easily in a less conspicuous carrying case, such as a backpack or inside of carry-on luggage. Also, once you do expose yourself as a notebook user — such as when you fire up your machine at the airport — be especially vigilant thereafter. Of course, notebooks can be stolen in all sorts of ways, and some of those ways you really can’t prepare well for. So if you keep valuable or sensitive data on your notebook, consider investing in tracing software that will help you or the authorities locate your notebook, should it get stolen. Laptop recovery software includes packages such as Absolute Software’s LoJack for Laptops (http://www.absolute.com/products/lojack), PC PhoneHome (http://www.pcphonehome.com), or zTrace (http://www.yale.edu/securityawareness/ztrace.html). These programs spring into action once the thieves attempt to go online with your notebook. Depending upon the software, once the burglar goes online, either the notebook’s location is tracked, the computer is locked down, or the data on the notebook is deleted or encrypted. Investigate all of these solutions to…

Originally posted here:
On the Road With Your Notebook Computer

CommentSubscribe