August 9
Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company stated in a July 23, 2007 press release that “according to recent surveys of college students 97% own a computer, 94% a cell phone and 56% an MP3 player. Moreover, a recent Alloy College Explorer Study found that 50% of college students own laptops while a COMPUSA survey revealed that 70% of students don’t routinely lock up their laptops when the computers are not in use. Fifty thousand property crimes are reported on college campuses annually with burglaries estimated to occur every ten seconds”
Are you among the estimated 13 million students in the USA heading to college in September or are you a parent sending a child off to school after a relaxing summer?
Well, if you are and you want to stay relaxed, here is some practical advice to follow to prevent the theft of data or the compromise of personal information on either a new or second-hand computer that’s already been used by your household or business:
- Make sure you’re not sending off important data as well with the computer. Simply deleting files or formatting the hard drive is not enough. CBL Data Recovery offers its free “Data Shredder Tool” that allows users to easily ensure that all vital data is removed from the computer’s hard drive.
- Protect your computer as you would your keys, wallet or credit card. Most mobile computers come equipped with a security cable slot; invest in a cable and use it.
- Keep your laptop out of sight and inconspicuous when not using it. Invest in a padded bag that also doesn’t shout “Laptop Inside.”
- Invest in computer theft protection software that tracks, locates and recovers stolen computers.
- Set both boot and log-in passwords to prevent information theft in the event your computer is stolen. Some mobile computers now use biometric technology to restrict use to only registered users.
While you are at school, it is critical to keep data secure, as well as the new data that you’ll create. ‘My computer ate my assignment’ is not an excuse most profs will accept upon learning that you spent hours working on a term paper only to have the hard drive crash.
So whether you have a hand-me-down laptop or the latest model from the likes of Acer, Apple, Dell, Compaq, HP, Lenovo or Toshiba, DO NOT PANIC when a data loss disaster strikes. Call a reputable data recovery firm if you suffer a data loss. Some also provide free packaging and shipping, so you won’t find yourself wandering around campus in search of a box, bubble wrap and foam chips!
And remember to backup your term papers and keep your backups in a safe place, or you could find yourself pulling a few all nighters when you’d rather be enjoying the company of your new friends and classmates at your favorite coffee shop or pub.
Category: data loss prevention, helpful hints
Tags: acer, apple, backing up data, backup, business losses, compaq, computer crash, data loss, data loss prevention, data recovery, download, hp, laptop, laptop recovery, lenovo, lost files, notebook leases, pc crash, toshiba
