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Laptops and other portable computing devices
are especially vulnerable to loss and theft.
Although the majority of thieves may be
after the quick profit from selling the device on the black
market, there is a growing number who steal laptops specifically
for the sensitive data they may contain. Such information,
if revealed, could cause embarrassment, loss of reputation
or significant financial or commercial impact to the company.
LAPTOP SECURITY–
LOSSES
Sensitive information may comprise;
- staff personal details
- any information that the user would wish to remain
private
- intellectual property; e.g. research notes, data and
commercially sensitive information
- medical data
- sensitive financial data
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LAPTOP SECURITY–
ADDRESSING THE ISSUE
To counter these risks, laptop security should
be addressed in five ways;
-
user responsibility; through increased
user awareness of the risks and application of a laptop
security policy
-
physical security; both at the user's
"base" and when travelling
-
access control/authentication;
-
data protection; using software and
hardware based solutions
-
tracking/recovery; particularly for
devices at high risk or containing very sensitive data
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