K-State and the surrounding neighborhoods have seen a significant number of laptop thefts in 2010. K-Staters need to take precautions to prevent opportunistic theft and protect K-State and personal information when computers are stolen.
- Never leave a mobile device unattended and unsecured, even if it’s in your office or behind a closed door. (Laptops have been stolen in less than a minute, when students went down the hall or employees stepped out of the office just for a moment.)
- Consider adding tracking software (like LoJack) or “call home” hardware to your laptop. If your laptop is stolen, these tools help your laptop say “Hey, here I am!” and can possibly lead to recovery.
- Buy a locking security cable and use it. Security cables cost $20-30. They have keyed or combination locks, and are available at the Union Computer Store as well as other Manhattan stores.
For more ways to protect your laptop and data, see the prevention steps in the July 13 article in InfoTech Tuesday on campus laptop thefts. If you have questions about protecting your computer and digital devices, contact the IT Help Desk, 785-532-7722, helpdesk@k-state.edu.
