10 + 3 Ideas To Keep Your Laptop Secure While Traveling

Our twitter friend, Deia wrote an article on WiseBread, listing "10 Helpful Ways to Keep Your Laptop Safe While Traveling".

"Leaving your laptop at home is supposedly going to help you relax, but what if you're more anxious without your laptop? You may not be working during the trip, but there could be possible emergencies to handle. And let's not forget that a laptop can function as a travel agent, a guidebook, and an entertainment center, too." -Deia

Number 3 mentions using a laptop security cable. I've purchased and have used this brand from Amazon for several years. It's inexpensive, easy to use and built to last.

I'm a strong advocate of Deia's #6 idea to use a VPN. I've used a VPN since 2009 for daily home/office use and especially while traveling (more VPN articles).

Plus 3 Additional Tips That I Use:

1. Enable an admin and user password in your BIOS settings, usually found under the Security tab. This gives you an added layer of security before Windows is loaded. I've done this for all of my customers over the years and I use them on our PCs/laptops (this is not a cure-all for theft but it can prove to be an effective deterrent).
2. Instead of giving your old laptop away, keep it for traveling purposes. Format the hard drive, perform a clean-install of the operating system and drivers. Afterwards, I never put any sensitive data on it, maybe a few bookmarks. Now, if it's lost or stolen, it won't bother you as much because it wasn't your main laptop.
   
3. When logging into your online bank or credit card accounts, don't have either recognize the laptop that you're using. Also, don't check the box that asks to keep you logged-in, if applicable. I always select the option that 'this is not my laptop', or similarly worded. Two things happen when you choose that option: [1] It will always ask to send a 2-step verification code to your phone, if utilized (which may be a pain, but it helps to keep your laptop a bit safer if it's stolen). [2] It will help prevent being automatically logged into your account without your having entered any credentials (which is a good thing if your laptop ends up in the wrong hands).
   

Click on images to enlarge

Booting-up Laptop

This is NOT my laptop

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