Having your laptop computer lost or stolen is something that most of us don’t want to think about, but it’s something that happens to people every day.

This unfortunate event not only causes financial loss to the owner of the lost or stolen laptop, it poses a serious security hole that could result in identity theft or inadvertently exposing sensitive information like your contact list or other private files to an unwanted subject.

If you have your computer set to automatically login to websites like Facebook or Twitter, a stolen laptop computer could give the “new owner” access to your Facebook page - allowing him to post updates or send private messages to your friends, family and colleagues. Same thing applies for your Email that logs in automatically - with just a few keystrokes, a thief can browse through your web history and request passwords to gain access to online banking, credit card accounts and other sensitive data that could result in further financial loss or identity theft.

Can I protect my computer from being used after it’s been lost or stolen?

The short answer to this question is Yes, you can provided you’ve installed the proper computer security services prior to the loss or theft occurring.

Computer security software allows laptop owners to remotely shut down their computer so that it can’t be used by an unauthorized person, takes a webcam picture of the person trying to use it, when it’s connected to the internet it will send a report of the IP address used to access the net. Other features like GPS tracking helps identify the approximate location of the missing computer to increase chances it will be recovered. Other security measure that help protect your laptop computers from being used include a “device scream” that makes the device impossible to use without drawing attention. Additionally, a message on the “lock screen” urges the user to return the laptop to the rightful owner and removes the ability to resell or pawn the device in the secondary market

In extreme cases, laptop owners can even issue the order to “shred” the information contained on it, but should only be used as a last resort because the information can never be restored.

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - especially as it pertains to computer security services. If you’d like to easily protect your laptop computer against theft or loss, please sign up for a free quote on mobile security services.