Laptops are great systems if you’re on the move; to work in the back of the car, or watch a movie under a tree in the back garden. Though however great this portability is, it also brings some disadvantages. The biggest one, ironically, is that same portability.

When walking around with a laptop, you need to constantly watch out for it. Lose your attention for a second and your computer can be gone.

Even more dangerous than getting your laptop stolen, in some cases, is getting your data stolen. A lot of people walk around every day, carrying information that must not be allowed to fall in the wrong hands. Identity theft and any breach of personal privacy are just one side of the problem. Imagine the horror of a big-time CEO when his laptop gets stolen, especially in these economic unstable times.

LaptopLock

LaptopLock, a nifty application, provides a nice and easy back-up plan, both for the relocation of your system after it’s stolen, and for protecting what’s on it.

The application can destroy or encrypt data, or run set actions, after you signal from a remote location. Even when the laptop never connects to the web, the application can trigger these actions after a given time, when the thieves fail to provide the right password.

Installing and Linking LaptopLock

Setting it up is quite easy, though it requires several steps.

For starters, you need an account on the LaptopLock website. Signing up is entirely free, and doesn’t even require activation.

In the online control panel, you can add one or more systems. Simply enter a name for easy identification, and hit the button. That computer will then be added to the database, and linked with a unique Computer ID.

Next, on your laptop, download and install the LaptopLock agent software.
We can now link our laptop to our online account. Upon starting the agent, you’ll be required to enter your Account Email, which you used to sign up, and the Computer ID.

You can choose whether to enter a password for accessing the software. This will also trigger any set actions if the system goes too long without an internet connection, and the user fails to provide the password. However, using this will cut back on the stealth as well, and might warn the thieves into taking additional precautions.

Configuring Security Plans

In the Security tab, you can configure and manage your plan of action. This basically says what needs be done in case of theft.

The available options include the deleting and encrypting of set data, showing a notification to the user ““ perhaps with a possible reward ““ or launching an external application.

All encrypted files can be recovered afterwards, in Security ““ Recovery Options.

Signaling Theft and Tracking

Back in the online control panel, signaling laptop theft is as easy as hitting the button. Your security plan will be carried out as soon as the stolen system connects to the internet.

Check Information shows the last ten locations of your laptop on a map. This probably isn’t as accurate as a GPS, but it will help the police in any investigation.

LaptopLock can help you in case your laptop gets stolen. Got any other tips? Share them below!