Keeping a Laptop Secure and Backed Up

TECH · GLOBAL

Keeping a Laptop Secure and Backed Up

Encryption and passwords, backups that work, travelling and disposal

A laptop is the device most likely to be lost or stolen, and the damage depends entirely on what was set up beforehand.

Encryption

Turn on full disk encryption, which is built into current versions of Windows and macOS and takes minutes. Without it, anyone who takes the machine can read everything on the drive regardless of your login password.

Store the recovery key somewhere other than the laptop.

Passwords and accounts

A unique password per account in a password manager, and two-factor authentication on email above all, since email is how every other account is reset.

Set the screen to lock automatically and require a password on wake.

Backups that actually work

Three copies, on two kinds of media, with one kept off-site or offline. Cloud sync is not a backup on its own, since a deletion or ransomware syncs too.

Test a restore rather than assuming it works, which is the step almost nobody does.

Travelling

Never leave a laptop in a car or unattended in a café. Use a privacy screen in public, avoid banking on unknown networks, and know how to wipe the device remotely.

Record the serial number and check whether it is covered by home insurance away from the property.

Updates

Most attacks use flaws that were already patched. Install updates rather than deferring them indefinitely.

Physical security

Use a cable lock in shared spaces, keep the laptop out of sight in a car boot rather than on a seat, and never check it into hold luggage. Most laptop theft is opportunistic.

Engrave or label it and record the serial number and photographs for insurance.

Sharing a machine

Separate user accounts rather than one shared login, and keep an administrator account distinct from daily use, which limits what any malware can do.

End of life

A drive wipe from within the operating system is sufficient for most people; remove and destroy the drive for anything sensitive.

Working in public

Sit with your back to a wall, use a privacy filter, and lock the screen even when stepping away for a moment. Shoulder surfing is how passwords are lost rather than anything technical.

Avoid entering banking credentials on an unknown network, and keep a personal hotspot as an alternative.

If it is lost or stolen

Report it to the police for a crime number, change the passwords for your main accounts from another device, and use the manufacturer's find or wipe service. Tell your bank if payment details were stored.

Encryption is what makes the difference between an inconvenience and a data breach.

Disposal

Wipe the drive properly and use a certified recycler.

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