For very many people, 80-90% of their life’s activities happen on their mobile device(s), from work, leisure, business activities, medicals, or e-commerce; the list goes on.
This also shows a lot in the manner of care expressed when handling a personal laptop or mobile phone device to prevent it from getting lost or damaged.
While a damaged device still has its chances of getting repaired, the chances are slimmer for recovering a lost device and even more painful when it is a case of theft; considering the value of information and security threat that is involved.
Regardless of the emotional setback that accompanies a stolen laptop, it is usually best to ensure that the security of personal and sensitive information contained in the laptop is not also compromised.
The below tips are in no way exhaustive but go a long way in securing your personal information.
• Notify your Banks/ Financial Institutions to Disable all forms of Mobile Banking: This stalls any effort of the thief at initiating a fraudulent transaction with your account or bank details.
• Delete Stored Passwords: Access your browsers through a second device, clear autofill from your browsers, and delete all previously saved passwords to prevent unauthorized access to your personal accounts and online activities.
• Track your Laptop’s Location (Restricted to Certain Devices): This feature allows users to track the location of their laptops the moment it is connected to the internet and allows you to remotely wipe off its content or lock up the device for your security.
It is enabled in both Windows and Apple computers but restricted to certain computer versions.
• Contact Your Employer(s): Your company I.T department may have certain security features or protocols to track down the device location using previously installed organization software, restrict access to sensitive information, and can help recover lost data.
• File a Police Report: While you may not get the assistance of your local police force in searching for your stolen device, obtaining a police report as soon as the theft is discovered comes in handy in securing some insurance claims and also vindicates the owner in an instance where the device is found in a crime scene.